Should Insurance Companies Pay Cities for Fire Trucks Sent to Auto Accidents?

Many cities in Ohio bill insurance companies of the at-fault driver for the costs of sending fire trucks to accidents. Insurance companies have accused the City of Cleveland of needlessly sending equipment to minor accidents in order to run up the bill. A Plain Dealer review of accident reports for a one week period indicated that Cleveland sent ladder trucks to 22 out of 29 accidents, including one fender bender with a parked car.

Insurance companies assert that they should not even have to pay legitimate police or fire charges, because these are paid by tax dollars. Most cities do not have any penalty for non-payment. According to a State Farm Insurance Company employee, no Ohio law requires such payments. Source:  Where's the Fire? by Susan Vinella and Leila Atassi, The Plain Dealer, Feb. 17, 2007.

For more information, see:  Accident Response Fees.com; Municipal Accident Response Fees by Insurance Information Institute; Ominous Trend: Growth of Municipal Accident Response Fees by Tami Stanton and Joe Thesing, Namic Issue Brief, April 2006.