FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
March 9, 2009
Contact: Jason Moon  517-335-1700 

LANSING – Last week, Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR) Commissioner Ken Ross and General Counsel John Schoonmaker met with Japanese officials to discuss how the agency regulates automobile insurance in Michigan. Ross and Schoonmaker met with Kunio Nakajima, Director of Government Compensation Office, Accidents Compensation Division, Road Transport Bureau and Yosuke Yamazaki, Chief Official of Accidents Compensation Division, Road Transport Bureau.

The Japanese officials were in Michigan conducting a comparative analysis of different injury compensation schemes in the United States and were interested in understanding how Michigan’s unique unlimited automobile insurance system worked

‘OFIR was honored that we could meet with Mr. Nakajima and Mr. Yamazaki to discuss the unique protections afforded by Michigan’s no-fault insurance system,” Ross said. “Our agency has long recognized the importance of international regulatory cooperation.”

OFIR explained to the Japanese officials the mechanisms behind the state’s assigned claims facility, the Michigan Automobile Insurance Placement Facility and how Michigan drivers injured in serious accidents can access the tort system to recover for their injuries.

Ross serves on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) International Insurance Relations (G) Committee.

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