Can I sue my insurance company for being sexist?

Question

I was on a few insurance sites doing "online quoting". I would plug in my specs, and it would come back with outrageous rates! So I would back up and change some entries, "testing" what would cause my rates to be so high. I only drive an 88' Accord that is paid off. However I pay x10 the cost of the vehicle each year in insurance.

I found that going from "Highschool" to "Graduate degree" would save me $100/yr. Being female would save me another $120!

By them saying that because I'm male, I should be charged more for being "statistically higher risk", is like an employer saying a black person should get paid less because they are "statistically lazier". It's wrong! If any employer pays lower wages for colored or ethnic people because they feel they are "statistically worse" employees, they'd be sued for every penny and be out of business. How can insurance companies do this and get away with it? Its a form of sexism!

I know insurance companies have rooms full of lawyers, however a reasonable case could always be won.

Do you think someone could have a shot at this? Even without a million dollar law team behind them?

Answer 1

Not a prayer.  You seem to think the insurance companies are simply making up these numbers.  They're not.  There's a ton of data behind them and they all say that young, uneducated males are the highest risk drivers to insure.

No lawyer would take your case.

Answer 2

Where do you get off stating that black people are ""statistically lazier"?

That is the most redneck, poor white trash comment I have heard in a very long time.

Insurance has a couple of things going for it.   For one, it is not a right, but a privilege, you can choose not to drive and therefore not need insurance.

Second, the stats are real, the same one that say educated people are better drivers then uneducated people.    You would have a hard time disproving those FACTS.

Answer 3

Some states, the insurance commissioner doesn't allow different rates based on gender.  Some states, they do.

Males die sooner than females.  They just do.  Males have more severe auto accidents (females have them more often, but they tend to be minor).  

The demographics show gender IS a predictor of future losses.  Not as much as credit score or age, though.

If AGE discrimination is fair, ie, if you don't want to pay the same auto rates as a 16 year old, then I don't see what the problem is with GENDER discrimination.   RACE discrimination, well, that's NOT valid.  The numbers don't substantiate the claims.  They don't work.

Your case is with your state insurance commissioner and your state congresspersons - NOT with the insurance companies.  

Answer 4

It is completely legal for insurance companies to determine your risk by using your s*x and age.  You don't have a case.  You may not like it, but they've done nothing illeagal.

Answer 5

females have been proven to be worst drivers then men, but i don't think we need any research to figure that one out lol. i guess the only reason it costs more for men is since men usually make more money than women and they are also more likely to buy expensive cars that are more costly to insure, while women are more likely to buy cheap fuel efficient cars. so it's a smart move for the insurance company to charge more for male drivers, as annoying as it may be.

Answer 6

The simply answer is no, you can not win.

The rates vary because of the statistics. To say that they shouldn't is like saying... If a life insurance company charges a healthy 20 years old 120/mo. for a 500,000 whole life policy, they have to charge the same rate to a 80 year old with terminal cancer.  

Males under 25 years old pay the most for auto insurance, because statistically they drive more often, They have the highest rate of accidents and tickets.

It is not sexism, it is logic. I was a young white male and paid higher insurance, it does suck, but it's legal and makes perfect sense.

Now that that's said, this is the whole problem with American society today. Young kids are not taught to work for money, they are not taught to save and actually earn the things they get. They grow up learning to sue people for stupid things, play the lottery, they are taught everything other than to work hard, have a good work ethic, and to be smart with their money.  This attitude is destroying the country from within The new generations are the laziest individuals for the most part, there are obviously exceptions, but these kids are going to grow up to be a huge burden on society.

Answer 7

Not a chance in Hades.  This type of rating has been in existence for decades now, and has been tested in more than one court case already.  The insurers are fully within their rights to uprate specific classes of drivers.