COVID-19: Effects on Auto Insurance Industry

Social distancing guidelines across the country have led to fewer cars on the road and, as a result, a decline in auto accidents. In California alone, accidents have decreased by about half since instituting shelter-in-place restrictions, according to a UC Davis study. To learn more about the changes on the road and in the auto insurance industry overall, we sat down with Mitchell’s auto casualty and auto physical damage experts: * Debbie Day, Mitchell Auto Physical Damage executive vice president and general manager shares her thoughts about how the pandemic is prompting the auto insurance industry to think differently, including virtual claims handling and other innovations. * Michele Hibbert-Iacobacci, Mitchell senior vice president of regulatory compliance management, explains the potential effects of delayed care for injured claimants and discusses how claim frequency and severity may change as a result of the pandemic.