1. Research Publications
  2. Research Publications

Research Publications

Estimated Cost of Compliance with 1991 Building Code Seismic Requirements

This report prepared by the National Association of Home Builders for IRC shows that builders can construct homes providing for life safety in earthquakes at an added cost of less than 1% of the purchase price of a new home.

The National Flood Insurance Program: Agency and Insurer Perspectives

Surveys of insurers and agents explore their views and practices regarding National Flood Insurance and Write-Your-Own programs. The study examines reasons for participation/non-participation by providers and property owners, the role of lenders in the sale of flood insurance, growth in policies sold, and views on who is responsible for promoting flood insurance.

Surviving the Storm: Building Codes, Compliance, and the Mitigation of Hurricane Damage

The study indicates that good building codes and strong enforcement can reduce hurricane damage to property. But it also shows wide variations in wind codes and code compliance among Gulf and Atlantic coastal states. Included are state-by-state estimates of insured property values exposed to hurricanes, and the added costs of making homes more hurricane-resistant.

Earthquake Losses under Workers Compensation and General Liability

Insured earthquake losses under workers' compensation and general liability insurance policies are estimated at about $14.6 billion for a "worst case" M7.5 event on the Newport-Inglewood fault, Los Angeles.

Fire Following Earthquake

This study indicates that major earthquakes in the Los Angeles Basin and the San Francisco Bay area would be likely to cause major conflagrations and generate fire damage of $4 to $17 billion, depending on quake location and wind conditions. Estimated "burn rates" are shown for communities affected.

Catastrophic Losses - How the Insurance System Would Handle Two $7 Billion Hurricanes

This study starts with two hypothetical hurricanes causing $7 billion each in insured property losses, and tracks those losses through the insurance system to find out where they would fall. It also analyzes the financial impact two such losses would have on primary companies and reinsurers, as a group, in the U.S. and abroad. The study also collected information on actual hurricane losses for 1983 and 1985, resulting in a substantial upward revision of earlier loss estimates for those storms.

Crime Losses in Property Casualty Insurance

his study measures the overall impact of crime-related insurance claims on the various kinds of insurance policies sold by property-casualty insurers. Results are stated in terms of crime losses as a percentage of all losses, countrywide and by state, for personal and commercial lines of insurance and for various types of criminal activity. The report also estimates annual dollar costs per household and per employee.

Attitudes of FAIR Plan Home Insurance Policyholders in 12 Major American Cities

A telephone survey was conducted of 1,994 homeowners known to have obtained their residential insurance coverages through FAIR plans to see how their experiences and attitudes compared with those of homeowners in general. Cities included were Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Providence. Out of Print

The Availability of Homeowners Insurance in Six Major Cities: Consumer Experience and Attitudes

This survey measures the experience and attitudes of homeowners regarding their purchase of residential insurance in Chicago, Cleveland, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and the borough of Brooklyn in New York City.