http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/391268
Thursday, November 23, 2006 at 05:00 EST
HAKODATE — An American woman injured in a car accident in northern Japan has filed a lawsuit with a U.S. court seeking about $95 million in damages largely from a Japanese insurance firm which she alleges provided false information about the driver who caused her injury, the woman's husband said Wednesday.
The compensation, which is being sought from Fuji Fire and Marine Insurance Co, amounts to about 11.1 billion yen and includes punitive damages, he said. In Japan, there is no system for such punitive damages.
According to the husband, the woman injured her neck and back after being rear-ended by a car in Sapporo, Hokkaido, in January 2004.
The driver of the car allegedly told the woman that he would resolve the issue through his insurance with Fuji Fire and Marine, but the firm at first denied that the man had taken out insurance with it.
Ten days later, the insurance firm admitted the man had bought its insurance, but refused to respond to questions about why it had made a false statement, the woman's husband said.
The Osaka-based firm said, "We would like to refrain from making comments at this moment."
The 39-year-old woman has also demanded compensation from the car driver and the insurance firm's supervisory authorities, such as the Financial Services Agency.
The woman and her husband have also filed a separate lawsuit against the car driver with the Hakodate District Court, seeking about 90 million yen in compensation.