NICB Report Shows 20 Percent Decrease in "Questionable" Auto Glass Claims in First Half of 2012
August 21, 2012

by Katie O'Mara, komara@glass.com

"Questionable" auto glass claims dropped 20 percent in the first half of 2012, when compared with the first half of 2011, according to the latest report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). NICB, an insurer group, defines "questionable claims" as "claims that NICB member insurance companies refer to NICB for closer review and investigation based upon one or more indicators of possible fraud."

Auto glass fraud has been a topic of interest for the NICB after a 2010 report showed a rise in claims from 397 to 2,182. According to recent NICB reports, auto glass fraud has been on the decline ever since, with "questionable" auto glass claims dropping from 2,182 claims in 2010 to 817 claims in 2011.

"Last year in 2011 we received over 100,000 questionable claims," says Frank Scafidi, director of public relations for the NICB, about keeping perspective when viewing questionable claims reports. "The company that gathers that data receives over 56 million claims. It is a very small number of that insurance traffic."

NICB officials say they refrain from interpreting the data supplied in questionable claims reports, particularly because the reports only reflect data from member companies that involves an insurance claim.

"We like to think our reports have an effect, but it could be anything that is affecting the numbers," says Scafidi about the continued decrease in "questionable" auto glass claims. "If there is work that is being done that is not triggering insurance claims then we have no way of viewing that data."

In December of 2011, Safelite Solutions became a "Strategic Partner," with the NICB, providing information to its member companies.

The NICB is supported by more than 1,100 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations.

This story is an original story by AGRR™ magazine/glassBYTEs.com™. Subscribe to AGRR™ Magazine.
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