May 22nd was the top day for car insurance claims last year

On Behalf of | Feb 6, 2015 | Insurance Law

Data can provide many useful insights into what really happens in the world of insurance claims. While many people may suspect the results of a report issued by the Progressive Insurance Company, it is always interesting to compare anecdotal assumptions with actual data.

It is not surprising that July has the greatest number of boating accidents. This makes perfect sense. Unlike Louisiana, in much of the country, boating season may not begin much before June and the presence of the Fourth of July holiday provides many with the time to take their boat out on the water. And the Fourth is the time for the greatest number of boating claims, perhaps due to inexperienced or rusty boaters and crowded lakes.

On the other hand, many might not have guessed that most motorcycle accidents are single-vehicle crashes, and that there were more of those types of crashes than the next three types combined.

But this makes sense when you recognize the growth in popularity that motorcycle riding has experienced. Millions of cyclists are relatively inexperienced at riding, and when combined with the popularity of riding to biker bars for a few drinks makes for a dangerous cocktail of intoxication and lack of experience.

And that Saturday sees the most number of claims is to be expected when most riders use their bikes on the weekend.

In contrast, cars experience the greatest number of claims during the week, when people are driving to and from work. June and July see large numbers of claims, possibly due to vacation travel and weather, which generate much damage. January is dangerous because of the weather.

This type of information is useful to insurance consumers, and it can make them aware of situations and times to exercise additional care. It can also be very useful for insurance companies, when looking for fraudulent claims, as data that shows outliers and statistically unexpected results may warrant further investigation.

Progressive.com, “Top Vehicle Claims Trends from 2014,” Steve Kaczynski, January 2015