Research Publications

Arson Incidence Claim Study

A survey of 13,418 insurance company claim files was conducted to determine the incidence of suspected arson in fire claims for homes and businesses. The report also discusses probable motives for the suspected arson fires, to the extent that motives could be determined.

Catalog of Indices

This is a compendium of information about frequently quoted indices relevant to property and casualty insurance, published by public and private sources. The report describes the characteristics of each index and provides ordering information.

Auto Theft in the United States

This is a compendium of statistics on auto theft in the United States.

Public Attitude Monitor 1981

In addition to covering many of the auto-related topics listed for the 1982 survey, the 1981 study explores public attitudes toward insurance claim fraud and provides information on consumer experience with and attitudes towards buying homeowners insurance, cost of auto insurance and other auto-related topics.

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.

State Motor Vehicle Records as a Source of Driver Performance Information

The study was the Council's first effort to document the massive underreporting of serious accidents and traffic violations in state motor vehicle records.

The Cost of Auto Insurance: How Consumer Choices and Characteristics Affect the Premiums People Pay

Research for this study was based on an examination of 3.8 million auto insurance policies insuring nearly 5.8 million vehicles. The study shows how average premiums vary according to such factors as the number of cars insured, the age and value of the car, urban vs. rural locations, age and sex of principal drivers and prior accident records.

Municipal Liability Insurance: Underwriting Results

These two related studies of municipal liability involved a survey of selected municipalities and of insurers writing municipal liability coverages, plus the collection of premium and loss experience on the cities responding to the survey. The survey explores availability of coverage, cost of coverage, and actions needed to control rising liability losses. Responses were received from 83 insurance companies and 853 municipalities.

Insurer Study of PIP Serious Injury Claims

This is the first follow-up on the 420 seriously injured crash victims whose files were initially surveyed as part of Automobile Injuries and Their Compensation in the United States. The study recorded changes in their conditions since 1978 and updated statistics on current and future expected costs.