Erie Insurance is ranked highest in the Mid-Atlantic on J.D. Power and Associates’ 2012 U.S. Auto Insurance Study (SM)

ERIE, Pa., June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- This March, Erie Insurance (Nasdaq: ERIE) announced its honor as a J.D. Power and Associates' Customer Service Champion for the second year in a row. ERIE now builds on that momentum by receiving the highest customer satisfaction rating in the Mid-Atlantic region on the J.D. Power and Associates' 2012 U.S. Auto Insurance Study(SM). The Mid-Atlantic region includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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In the North Central region, ERIE ranked in the highest satisfaction tier just five points behind that region's top-ranked company. The North Central region includes Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

"At ERIE, we follow the Golden Rule when it comes to serving our customers. That service excellence defines who we are as a company and has since we opened our doors in 1925," said Terry Cavanaugh, president and CEO of Erie Insurance. "We appreciate this recognition from J.D. Power and Associates – and from our customers. It strengthens our commitment to continually seek new and better ways to serve the people who do business with us."

The ranking was based on a Customer Satisfaction Index score, which examined five factors: policy coverage, price, billing and payment, overall interaction, and claims. ERIE earned a national CSI score of 829, which was 25 points above the industry average.  In the Mid-Atlantic, ERIE's CSI score was 834, which was 27 points above the average for that region.

In previous years, the U.S. Auto Insurance Study provided one national benchmark. To give insurers more in-depth and market-specific insights, J.D. Power created seven regions within the U.S. Only insurers writing a minimum threshold of business in a given region are eligible to be ranked in that region. ERIE was eligible to be ranked in the Mid-Atlantic and North Central regions.

According to A.M. Best Company, Erie Insurance Group, based in Erie, Pennsylvania, is the 12th largest automobile and 14th largest homeowners insurer in the United States based on direct premiums written and the 20th largest property/casualty insurer in the United States based on total lines net premium written. The Group, rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company, has over 4.3 million policies in force and operates in 11 states and the District of Columbia. Erie Insurance Group is a FORTUNE 500 company. Erie Insurance is proud to have earned the highest customer satisfaction rating among national auto insurers in the Mid-Atlantic region on the J.D. Power and Associates' 2012 U.S. Auto Insurance Study and to be named a J.D. Power and Associates' 2012 Customer Service Champion. ERIE is one of only 50 U.S. companies so named. Erie Insurance is also recognized on the list of Ward's 50 Group of top performing insurance companies, which analyzes the financial performance of 3,000 property and casualty companies and nearly 800 life and health insurance companies and recognizes the top performers for achieving outstanding financial results in safety and consistency over a five-year period (2006-2010).

News releases and more information about Erie Insurance Group are available at www.erieinsurance.com.

SOURCE Erie Insurance