The insurance industry faces an uphill battle in court as arecent poll found that the majority of people hold a bias againstinsurers and, as jurors, would be more likely to support anindividual suing a carrier.

A national telephone poll sponsored by Chicago-based DRI—Voiceof the Defense Bar, an association for defense attorneys andin-house counsel, found 59 percent of respondents would be inclinedto favor the individual in a lawsuit with virtually no differencebetween male and female respondents. Only 20 percent of respondentssaid they would not favor either party. A paltry 10 percent saythey would favor insurance carriers, while 11 percent say theydon't know who they would favor.

“The results of our poll show two things: the fact that only 20percent would approach their responsibilities as a juror in anobjective manner means that we have a bit of public education to doon the role of a juror in the administration of justice,” says JohnR. Kouris, DRI executive director in a statement. “Second, whilesome of the demographic responses are expected, others are quitesurprising.”