According to a new IIHS report, smaller cars are indeed getting safer. 

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A firm utilized by Farmers Insurance released a report that indicates men are 3.41 more times likely to be cited for reckless driving. 

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One of the nations largest insurers opened Claim U last year and is making a huge effort to fully train each adjuster on the complete mechanics of a vehicle.  Only a few national carriers provide such detailed training to desk adjusters.

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The Federal Trade Commission filed suit today to block the merger of CCC and Mitchell.

Click here to the FTC link.

According to a new study from the IRC ( Insurance Research Council), based on data of over 42,000 files in 2007, fraud and buildup resulted in between 4.8 to 6.8 billion dollars in excess being paid out on suspect claims. Click here for the full release.

According the the U.S. Department of Transportation there has been a reduction of miles driven by Americans over the last fiscal year. This has caused the Highway Trust Fund revenue to fall $3 billion dollars.

In Salem, Massachusetts, a man with a reputation of committing insurance fraud was nabbed when he finally tried to get out from under his Hummer payment by faking an auto loss. 

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Here’s another story of insurance fraud….

1. Minnesota man faked auto injury claim and has been charged with felony insurance fraud.

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Even as the government today released a report showing CPI decreasing 1.0 percent in October, auto body repair work and auto insurance rates continued to climb.

In a recent study of claims processed through AutoClaims Direct’s “Directlink” in 2008, labor rates for collision repair have been fairly steady in the state of Arizona with a slight increase in Mechanical operation costs.

Data source:  © 2008, AutoClaims Direct, DirectLink