None of the nation’s top 10 private passenger carriers earned more than a C+ national grade on the Crash Network’s Insurer Report Card, although some did better in individual states.
“You have to look fairly far down in the rankings before you find one of the best-known and largest auto insurers, but most consumers will find an insurer or two among the 15 highest-graded who offer auto insurance policies in their state,” stated Crash Network Editor and Publisher John Yoswick in a press release.
The newsletter publisher asked 1,037 collision repair professionals in all 50 states to grade the insurers that they dealt with. Shops awarded each company a grade from “A+” to “F” based on one question: “How well does this insurer’s claims handling policies, attitude and payment practices ensure quality repairs and customer service for motorists?”
The survey resulted in letter grades to 135 insurance carriers that had received a grade from at least 35 of the respondents. Of those 79 carriers received enough responses to merit a national ranking.
The only A+ grade went to the North Carolina Farm Bureau, which is a relative gnat on the national scene but a big deal in its home state. The Farm Bureau Group was North Carolina’s fifth-largest private passenger auto insurer in 2018, with $612 million in written premium and a 9.6% market share, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Chubb and Erie Insurance both received A- marks.
“Shops say the best insurance companies don’t pressure them to cut corners or install lower-quality parts just to save the insurers money. The best insurance companies also aren’t adding more administrative steps that slow down the repair and claims process,” Crash Network said in the report.