Study Says Auto Accidents Down, Injury Claims Up

According to findings in a new study conducted by the Insurance Research Council (IRC), there was a significant decrease in the frequency of auto accidents from 1980 to 1998. However, during the same time period, bodily injury claims stemming from those accidents jumped 33 percent.

The study, Trends in Auto Injury Claims, examined changes in these rates during the 18-year period for the entire nation, as well as by individual states and by territories within states.

California ranked 11th in the nation for highest accident frequency, with 4.41 property damage claims per 100 insured cars. With respect to bodily injury claim frequency, California ranked sixth highest, with 1.74 claims per 100 insured cars.