Research Publications

Homeowners Loss Patterns in Eight Cities

This study demonstrates the variations in homeowners insurance loss experience across and within eight major U.S. cities and the communities within five miles of the cities' boundaries. The eight urban areas included in the study are Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York City, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and St. Louis. The report provides detailed information on claim counts and dollar losses by six major causes of loss - fire, lightning and removal; liability and medical; wind and hail; water and freezing; theft; and all other causes of loss.

Public Attitude Monitor 1996

This survey examines consumer attitudes about cost containment issues including managed medical and auto care, fraud-fighting efforts, no-fault insurance, uninsured drivers, and the "values" insurance provides. The legal issues including attorney involvement in the claims process, personal injury lawsuits, and tort reform are explored in this edition. Highway safety issues such as air bag safety, red light cameras, and motorcycle helmet laws are examined. Consumer attitudes toward natural disaster subsidies also are explored.

Fairness and Balance in Residential Property Insurance:

A national public attitude survey of over 2,000 current/previous/potential homeowners was conducted by The Tarrance Group. Specific issues examined include availability of homeowners insurance, fairness of pricing and coverage choices, disparate impact, private and government programs for underserved markets, and other challenges in urban insurance markets.

Fraud and Buildup in Auto Injury Claims: Pushing the Limits of the Auto Insurance System

This study systematically examines fraud and buildup in private passenger auto insurance claims in the United States. The findings are based on approximately 12,000 bodily injury liability claims and 3,000 no-fault personal injury protection claims closed during the Spring and Summer of 1992 in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New York, South Carolina and Texas.

Trends in Auto Injury Claims ­- Part Two: Analysis of Claim Costs, 1996 Edition

Auto injury claims are increasing sharply in many states, despite a drop in the number of property damage accidents. Part One of this report explores this continuing trend, showing variations over time, among states, and among territories. Part Two documents the total cost of injuries paid by auto insurance and examines the cost of injuries relative to property damage liability by state. Available appendices include claim frequency, claim severity and average loss cost data for each state from 1980-1995, and provide comparative data on every territory in the U.S. for a more limited period of time.

Trends in Auto Injury Claims, Part One: Analysis of Claim Frequency, 1996 Edition

Auto injury claims are increasing sharply in many states, despite a drop in the number of property damage accidents. Part One of this report explores this continuing trend, showing variations over time, among states, and among territories. Part Two documents the total cost of injuries paid by auto insurance and examines the cost of injuries relative to property damage liability by state. Available appendices include claim frequency, claim severity and average loss cost data for each state from 1980-1995, and provide comparative data on every territory in the U.S. for a more limited period of time.

Public Attitude Monitor 1995

Topics explored in this survey include consumer auto and home insurance shopping behavior, consumer willingness to provide insurers with information on race, ethnicity and income for regulatory purposes, and awareness of factors affecting the cost of settling automobile insurance claims. This survey also examines recent trends in public attitude towards insurance fraud and views on disaster relief by geographic region. Public opinion regarding roadway safety issues, including drinking and driving, acceptability of speeding, and reducing accidents among teenage drivers and elderly drivers, also is explored in this survey.

Motivating Safety in the Workplace

This survey of approximately 3,200 small and medium businesses examines the different measures employers take to prevent workplace injury and illness. Among other topics, the report documents the measures that surveyed business owners feel are most effective in promoting safety, what motivates them to implement the measures, and what prevents them from taking additional preventative action.

Trends in Auto Injury Claims, Special State Report for Pennsylvania- Free of Charge

Coastal Exposure and Community Protection Hurricane Andrew's Legacy

This study uses data from coastal counties in the 18 states along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico to document population and insured exposure increases from 1980 through 1993. The devastation of Hurricane Andrew is analyzed to show the strengths and weaknesses of current building code practices and enforcement, and to make recommendations for improvement. Computer models are presented which estimate potential losses from future hurricanes. Cost: $25 in the U.S. and $40 elsewhere, postpaid.