Research Publications

Analysis of Auto Injury Insurance Claims From Four No-Fault States

A new study by the Insurance Research Council (IRC) finds that claimed losses for auto injuries have escalated at vastly different rates across four states with no-fault auto insurance regulations. From 1997 to 2002, the average amounts that personal injury protection claimants reported for expenses stemming from their injuries increased 122 percent in Colorado, 60 percent in New York, 37 percent in Florida, and just 2 percent in Michigan. The study finds escalating medical costs are the key factor behind the growth in losses in Colorado, New York, and Florida. Skyrocketing claim costs contributed to the 2003 Colorado decision to end the state’s no-fault auto insurance system.

Paying for Auto Injuries: A Consumer Panel Survey of Auto Accident Victims, 2004 Edition

A new study by the Insurance Research Council (IRC) finds that people injured in an auto accident who hire an attorney are less likely to be satisfied with their total payment than injured people who do not hire an attorney. Almost three-fourths of those without an attorney were satisfied with their total payment, compared to less than half of those who hired an attorney. Among people with the highest accident expenses, who usually incurred the most serious injuries, two-thirds of those who did not hire an attorney were satisfied with their total payment (Figure 1). In contrast, among people with the highest losses who retained an attorney, fewer than four in ten were satisfied. These findings are unchanged from a similar IRC study conducted in 1998.

Auto Injury Insurance Claims: Countrywide Patterns in Treatment, Cost, and Compensation, 2004 Edition

This closed claim study updates IRC’s ongoing research on injuries in auto accidents based on a sample of more than 70,000 auto injury claims paid by major auto insurers countrywide. The report explores auto injury claim patterns under each of the five principal private passenger auto insurance coverages, comparing 2002 data to results from similar studies conducted in 1997, 1992, 1987, and 1977. The study examines trends in injury claim patterns including characteristics of the accidents and those injured, medical treatment, losses and payments, the claim settlement process, and the impact of attorney involvement.

Auto Insurance Claims in California: A Research Perspective on Regional Differences

This report documents variations in claim frequencies, claim severities, and claim loss costs among California regions under the bodily injury liability (BI) and property damage liability (PD) coverages. The report also examines regional differences in the use of medical treatment, losses and payments, and attorney involvement among BI claimants with minor injuries. The data underlying this report are from the California Department of Insurance and IRC’s 2002 closed claim auto injury study.

Public Attitude Monitor 2004 - Issue 1

This first issue of the Insurance Research Council’s Public Attitude Monitor 2004 (PAM) examines public opinion on issues concerning civil justice reform and, more specifically, public attitudes toward personal injury lawsuits and class action lawsuits.

Insurance Fraud: A Public View

According to a new study released by the Insurance Research Council (IRC), respondents residing in New York State were more likely than respondents nationwide to agree that it is acceptable to increase an insurance claim by a small amount to make up for insurance premiums paid when no claims were made (25 percent among respondents in New York versus 20 percent among respondents countrywide). They were also slightly more likely to say it is acceptable to increase a claim for the deductible that would have otherwise been paid (32 percent versus 29 percent).

Public Attitude Monitor 2003 - Issue 1

The first issue of the Insurance Research Council's Public Attitude Monitor 2003 (PAM) examines homeowners' beliefs and practices regarding disaster preparedness, home safety, and homeowners insurance.

Public Attitude Monitor 2002 - Issue 4

The fourth issue of the Insurance Research Council's Public Attitude Monitor 2002 (PAM) examines public opinion on several issues related to auto insurance: insurance rates for the youngest and oldest drivers, the use of automatic data recorders in private passenger vehicles, and perceptions of the accuracy of state motor vehicle records (MVRs) of traffic convictions.

Public Attitude Monitor 2002 - Issue 3

The third issue of the Insurance Research Council's Public Attitude Monitor 2002 (PAM) examines consumers' satisfaction with their auto or homeowners insurance, the public's perceptions of the responsiveness of the insurance industry to the September 11th terrorist attacks, their understanding and awareness of insurance regulation, and their opinions on how insurers should handle claims for losses that a policy was not priced to cover.

Public Attitued Monitor 2002 - Issue 2

The second issue of the Insurance Research Council's Public Attitude Monitor 2002 (PAM) examines the public's opinion on issues related to vehicle occupant safety: the importance of vehicle safety in the vehicle purchase decision, side air bags, head restraints, and primary versus secondary seat belt enforcement.