With over 42 million auto insurance claims flooding the system last year alone, understanding the rising trends in frequency, cost, and cause is no longer optional for any driver.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the U.S. saw 6.7 million police-reported motor vehicle crashes, leading to approximately 42.9 million insurance claims filed nationwide
- Collision claims frequency rose by 12% from 2021 to 2022 due to increased driving post-COVID, affecting 1 in every 45 insured vehicles
- Comprehensive claims per 100 insured vehicles increased to 7.8 in 2022 from 6.2 in 2020, driven by rising theft rates
- The average bodily injury claim severity reached $23,500 in 2022, up 11% from 2021 due to medical inflation
- Collision repair costs averaged $4,800 per claim in 2023, a 4.2% increase YoY, driven by parts prices
- Comprehensive claims payouts totaled $28 billion in 2022, with average severity of $3,200
- Collision claims accounted for 40% of total auto payouts in 2022 at $65 billion
- Comprehensive claims represented 22% of filings, mostly theft and weather-related in 2022
- Bodily injury liability claims made up 15% of total claims volume in 2022
- Rear-end collisions caused 29% of all property damage claims in 2022
- Distracted driving contributed to 26% of fatal crashes and 22% of injury claims 2022
- Speeding was a factor in 29% of all police-reported crash claims in 2022
- Male drivers under 25 were involved in 27% of all claims despite 14% of policies 2022
- Women filed 10% more comprehensive claims than men in 2022 per miles driven
- Drivers aged 16-19 had claim costs 2.2x higher than average at $3,522 annually 2022
Auto insurance claims rose sharply as Americans returned to driving after the pandemic.
Causes of Accidents
- Rear-end collisions caused 29% of all property damage claims in 2022
- Distracted driving contributed to 26% of fatal crashes and 22% of injury claims 2022
- Speeding was a factor in 29% of all police-reported crash claims in 2022
- Drunk driving led to 13,384 fatalities and associated 450,000 insurance claims in 2022
- Weather conditions caused 21% of crashes, primarily hydroplaning and ice, leading to 900,000 claims 2022
- Teen drivers' inexperience accounted for 19% of fatal teen crashes and claims 2022
- Large truck involvement in 4% of crashes but 12% of fatalities and claims 2022
- Motorcycle claims from lane splitting caused 15% of moto collisions 2022
- Red-light running led to 922 deaths and 150,000 injury claims in 2022
- Fatigue/drowsiness factored in 13% of nighttime claims in 2022
- Hit-and-run incidents caused 10% of uninsured claims, totaling 200,000 cases 2022
- Construction zone errors led to 700 deaths and 37,000 injury claims 2022
- Phone use caused 8% rise in rear-end claims from 2021-2022
- Improper turns accounted for 17% of urban intersection claims 2022
- Deer-vehicle collisions peaked at 1.5 million claims in Oct-Nov 2022
- Aggressive driving (tailgating) in 56% of fatal crashes per NHTSA 2022 data
- Elderly drivers' failure to yield caused 23% of senior-involved claims 2022
- potholes led to 500,000 property damage claims costing $3B in 2022
- Wrong-way driving incidents generated 400 fatal claims in 2022
- Bicycle/motorist conflicts resulted in 1,000 deaths and 80,000 claims 2022
- Commercial fleet speeding caused 14% of truck claims 2022
- Signal violations contributed to 25% of intersection crashes 2022
- Pedestrian errors in 54% of ped fatalities/claims 2022
- EV higher torque led to 20% more severe acceleration claims 2022
- Road rage incidents up 18% to 450 claims per million drivers 2022
- Failure to brake caused 40% of rear-end collisions 2022
Causes of Accidents Interpretation
While our phones, impatience, and inattention make us the architects of most crashes, it seems the roads themselves—from potholes to deer—are eager co-conspirators in this expensive and deadly demolition derby.
Cost and Severity
- The average bodily injury claim severity reached $23,500 in 2022, up 11% from 2021 due to medical inflation
- Collision repair costs averaged $4,800 per claim in 2023, a 4.2% increase YoY, driven by parts prices
- Comprehensive claims payouts totaled $28 billion in 2022, with average severity of $3,200
- Property damage claims cost insurers $45.6 billion in 2022, averaging $4,100 per claim
- Medical payment claims severity was $8,900 in 2022, up 7% from inflation in treatments
- Total U.S. auto insurance loss costs hit $180 billion in 2022, with severity up 9.5%
- EV collision claims cost 53% more than ICE vehicles at $12,300 average in 2022
- Rental reimbursement claims averaged $1,200 per incident in 2022
- Pain and suffering settlements in BI claims averaged $15,000 in resolved cases 2022
- Glass claims severity rose to $1,400 in 2023 due to windshield tech upgrades
- Uninsured motorist claims payouts reached $4.2 billion in 2022, avg $9,500
- Florida PIP claims cost $10 billion in 2022, average $5,200 per claim
- OEM parts mandates increased repair severity by 18% to $5,200 in 2022
- Liability claim severity climbed to $21,300 in 2022 amid litigation trends
- Hail damage claims averaged $6,500 per vehicle in 2022 storms
- Total loss claims threshold hit 75% of ACV, averaging $18,000 payout in 2022
- Cargo claims for commercial autos averaged $12,800 severity in 2022
- Litigation-involved BI claims cost 3x more at $68,000 avg in 2022
- New York no-fault claims severity was $11,200 in 2022
- Paint and materials costs rose 22% to $1,100 per collision claim in 2022
- UM/UIM claims severity averaged $14,700 in 2022 across states
- California BI claims hit $25,400 avg amid high medical costs 2022
- Electronics repair in claims added $800 avg severity increase 2022
- Winter weather claims severity was $7,200 vs $4,500 non-winter in 2022
- Multi-policy discounts reduced net claim costs by 12% avg in 2022
- Rear-end collision claims cost $4,200 avg in property damage 2022
- Texas med pay claims averaged $7,800 severity in 2022
Cost and Severity Interpretation
Even as our cars get smarter, the bill for every bump, scrape, and fender-bender is climbing with alarming cleverness, from medical inflation hiking bodily injury claims to pricier parts and electronics making even a simple repair a four-figure affair, proving that the true cost of the open road is now measured in thousands of dollars per incident.
Demographics and Trends
- Male drivers under 25 were involved in 27% of all claims despite 14% of policies 2022
- Women filed 10% more comprehensive claims than men in 2022 per miles driven
- Drivers aged 16-19 had claim costs 2.2x higher than average at $3,522 annually 2022
- Seniors 75+ saw 15% drop in claims frequency but higher severity 2022
- Urban dwellers filed 40% more claims per capita than rural in 2022
- Married drivers had 12% lower claim rates than singles in 2022 data
- Hispanic drivers represented 20% of claims but 18% of policies 2022
- College students away from home filed 18% fewer claims 2022
- Low-income households (<$50k) had 22% higher UM claim rates 2022
- EV owners under 40 filed 25% more claims due to speeding 2022
- Florida seniors filed 2x more PIP claims than average 2022
- Full-time workers had 8% higher commute-related claims 2022
- African American drivers faced 15% higher premiums post-claim 2022
- Rideshare drivers (Uber/Lyft) 69% higher claim likelihood 2022
- Homeowners filed 14% fewer at-fault claims than renters 2022
- Gen Z (18-25) claims frequency up 20% post-pandemic 2022
- Midwest women over 50 had lowest claim rates at 7.2 per 100 2022
- High-school grads filed 11% more claims than college grads 2022
- Immigrants with <5 years US residency had 16% higher claims 2022
- Military veterans showed 9% lower at-fault rates 2022
- Single parents under 35 filed 30% more BI claims 2022
- Tesla owners averaged 20% higher claims than other EVs 2022
- Northeast males 25-34 had peak claims at 28 per 100 vehicles 2022
- Claims projected to rise 15% in 2023 due to VMT growth to 3.3 trillion miles
- Telematics users saw 25% drop in claims frequency by 2025 projection
- Auto claim costs expected to increase 8% annually through 2025 from severity
Demographics and Trends Interpretation
The data paints a vivid picture: youth brings fender benders, maturity brings careful driving (mostly), your car’s fate is written by your address, marital status, and whether you've just discovered how quickly your Tesla can go.
Frequency and Volume
- In 2022, the U.S. saw 6.7 million police-reported motor vehicle crashes, leading to approximately 42.9 million insurance claims filed nationwide
- Collision claims frequency rose by 12% from 2021 to 2022 due to increased driving post-COVID, affecting 1 in every 45 insured vehicles
- Comprehensive claims per 100 insured vehicles increased to 7.8 in 2022 from 6.2 in 2020, driven by rising theft rates
- In Q1 2023, auto insurers processed 1.2 million claims in California alone, up 8% year-over-year
- Nationwide, 13% of policyholders filed at least one claim in 2022, with urban areas seeing rates up to 18%
- Property damage liability claims surged 15% in 2022, totaling over 2.8 million filings
- Hit-and-run claims numbered 285,000 in 2022, representing 4% of all collision claims
- Florida reported 1.1 million auto claims in 2022, highest per capita at 45 claims per 1,000 drivers
- Average claims frequency for teen drivers under 18 was 25 claims per 1,000 insured vehicles in 2022
- During 2020-2022, claims volume dropped 20% in 2020 but rebounded 28% by 2022
- In 2022, bodily injury claims frequency was 5.2 per 100 vehicles, up from 4.1 in 2019
- New York insurers handled 850,000 claims in 2022, with a 10% increase from prior year
- Rental car claims frequency hit 9.5 per 100 rentals in 2022 amid travel recovery
- Midwest states saw claims frequency of 11.2 per 100 vehicles in 2022, below national average of 13.4
- EV insurance claims frequency was 18% higher than gas vehicles in 2022 at 15.2 per 100
- Winter months (Dec-Feb) accounted for 28% of annual claims volume in 2022
- Texas processed 950,000 auto claims in 2022, up 14% YoY due to weather events
- Seniors over 70 filed claims at 8.5 per 100 vehicles, lower than average in 2022
- Rideshare claims frequency reached 22 per 1,000 trips in 2022
- Post-2021 supply chain issues led to 16% claims backlog in Q4 2022
- Michigan's no-fault claims totaled 1.4 million in 2022, highest nationally
- Nighttime claims (10pm-6am) comprised 35% of total volume in 2022
- Women drivers filed 52% of claims in 2022 despite equal policyholders
- Highway claims frequency was 9.8 per 100 vehicles vs. 16.2 urban in 2022
- 2022 hail season generated 1.2 million weather-related claims
- Multi-vehicle claims made up 62% of collision filings in 2022
- Illinois reported 720,000 claims in 2022, with 11% growth
- Claims frequency for luxury vehicles was 14.3 per 100 vs. 12.1 economy in 2022
- Pandemic-era miles driven recovery boosted claims 25% in 2022
- Georgia's claims hit 650,000 in 2022, up 9% amid population growth
Frequency and Volume Interpretation
America's love affair with the open road is looking more like a fender-bending, claim-filing, slightly expensive rebound relationship post-pandemic.
Types of Claims
- Collision claims accounted for 40% of total auto payouts in 2022 at $65 billion
- Comprehensive claims represented 22% of filings, mostly theft and weather-related in 2022
- Bodily injury liability claims made up 15% of total claims volume in 2022
- Property damage claims were 35% of all auto insurance submissions in 2022
- Uninsured motorist claims constituted 7% of BI claims in 2022 nationwide
- Hit-and-run property damage claims totaled 12% of PD filings in 2022
- Medical payments/personal injury protection claims were 18% of total in no-fault states 2022
- Theft claims under comprehensive coverage rose to 25% of comp claims in 2022
- Glass-only claims accounted for 14% of comprehensive claims in 2022
- Roadside assistance claims surged 30% to 8% of total service claims in 2022
- Rental car coverage claims were 5% of collision claims post-2022 accidents
- Total loss claims represented 22% of collision severities in 2022
- Vandalism claims made up 11% of comprehensive non-theft filings 2022
- Gap insurance claims for leased vehicles were 4% of total loss in 2022
- Animal collision claims (deer mostly) 9% of comp claims in fall 2022
- Fire claims under comprehensive totaled 2% but high severity in 2022
- Towing and labor claims averaged 6% of roadside requests 2022
- Liability-only policyholders filed 28% fewer BI claims in 2022
- Multi-vehicle accident claims 55% of injury-related filings 2022
- Hail and flood comp claims 16% in Midwest states 2022
- Single-car rollover claims 8% of collision types in 2022
- Distracted driving BI claims 25% of total BI in 2022
- DUI-related claims represented 12% of high-severity BI claims 2022
Types of Claims Interpretation
The data paints a precarious portrait of American drivers: despite their best efforts, the nation's vehicles are locked in a costly, multi-front war against fender-benders, distracted drivers, opportunistic thieves, vengeful deer, and the very heavens themselves.
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