Research Publications
Insurance Fraud: A Public View, 2013 Edition
This report updates previous IRC studies surveying the public about the acceptability and perceived frequency of various types of insurance fraud, with special emphasis on auto insurance fraud. It also examines attitudes toward a variety of tools that insurers and law enforcement use to fight against insurance fraud, including claim handling techniques and consequences for fraudulent behavior, and the public’s willingness to perform fraud-fighting efforts. The study finds lower tolerance of fraud than in past studies and broad support for measures designed to reduce fraud.
The Potential Effects of No Pay, No Play Laws
This study seeks to measure the impact of no pay, no play laws on the percentage of uninsured motorists. It also estimates the costs of
noneconomic damages awarded to uninsured motorists in states that have yet to enact such laws. The findings suggest that not only
would a properly enforced no pay, no play law result in a moderate decrease in uninsured motorists, it may also reduce auto insurance
costs.
Trends in Homeowners Insurance Claims
This report documents homeowners insurance claim frequency, severity, and loss cost trends from 1997 to 2011. Countrywide and state findings are presented. Special attention is focused on the role of catastrophe-related claims. The study finds that the cost of homeowners insurance claims increased rapidly over the study period, driven primarily by a rapid increase in the severity of all claims and a slow, but steady, increase in the frequency of noncatastrophe-related claims beginning in 2006.
No-Fault Auto Injury Claims in Michigan: A Study of Closed Claims and Open Catastrophic Claims
This report identifies some of the key factors contributing to the large increases in PIP claim costs in Michigan from 2002 to 2011, examining changes in the composition of claimants and in treatment patterns among claims closed with payment. The study also pays special attention to the role of very large claims, with information collected on a sample of catastrophic open claims.
The Long-Term Effects of Rate Regulatory Reforms in Automobile Insurance Markets
This study provides evidence of the positive impact of relaxing stringent rate regulations in the automobile insurance markets of South Carolina (reformed in 1999), New Jersey (reformed in 2003), and Massachusetts (reformed in 2008). Estimates show that rate reforms have led to a number of positive developments in these markets without leading to increases in insurance prices or reductions in insurance availability. Overall, the regulatory reforms in these states have improved the performance of the insurance market for both consumers and insurers.
Trends in Auto Injury Claims, 2011 Edition
New findings from an Insurance Research Council (IRC) study of auto injury claim trends indicate that insurance claim costs countrywide have recently increased, reversing previous trends of declining or relatively stable costs. The report, Trends in Auto Injury Claims, 2011 Edition, documents important auto injury claim trends, both countrywide and by state, using private passenger auto claim data from national and state-level statistical reporting agencies.
New York’s No-Fault System: Final Report on Closed Auto Injury Claims
New findings from an Insurance Research Council (IRC) study of personal injury protection (PIP) claims closed in 2010 show that claimed losses for medical expenses, lost wages, and other expenses related to injuries from auto accidents in the New York City area have risen 70 percent over the past decade, surpassing the 49 percent increase in medical care inflation over the same period.
The Impact of Third-Party Bad-Faith Reforms on Automobile Liability Insurance Costs in West Virginia
According to a new study from the Insurance Research Council (IRC), third-party bad-faith reforms adopted by the West Virginia State Legislature in 2005 were estimated to have reduced underlying insurance coverage costs by approximately $200 million in the five-year period after the reforms were enacted.
Public Attitude Monitor 2011, Accident Response Fees
Sixty-eight percent of adults disagree with the idea that local governments should charge accident response fees to individuals involved in traffic accidents, according to a new study from the Insurance Research Council (IRC). When reminded that requiring insurance companies to pay accident response fees could lead to higher auto insurance costs, 69 percent of survey respondents disagreed with the idea of local governments charging accident response fees.
Uninsured Motorists, 2011 Edition
Across the United States, chances are roughly one in seven that a driver is uninsured, according to new estimates from the Insurance Research Council (IRC). The estimated percentage of uninsured motorists declined four straight years before rising to 14.3 percent in 2008 and dropping to 13.8 percent in 2009. The economic downturn is thought to be a major factor in the brief increase.