National Insurance Crime Bureau: Florida Among Top States for Auto Glass Claims

DES PLAINES, Illinois, March 10 -- The National Insurance Crime Bureau issued the following news release:

Recent insurance industry data places Florida as second in the nation for auto glass claims, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

"Auto glass claims have increased 52% over the last five years in Florida, and that suggests that there may be a corresponding rise in fraudulent activity," said Alan Haskins, NICB's vice president of government affairs.

Fraudsters continue to target Florida, as they look to take advantage of policyholders by convincing them they need a windshield repair or replacement - when they might not. Some glass repair companies bill for services and never actually replace the windshield, or often replace windshields that do not have damage.

"Some fraudulent auto glass companies are convincing consumers to sign an assignment of benefits (AOB) form, which means you are giving up your rights to the auto glass company. When a consumer signs over their claim they are no longer in control if there is a dispute over inflated repairs and may be eventually named in a lawsuit. Some unscrupulous auto glass companies are turning this into a lucrative business by inflating the insurance claim and collecting the money for themselves. This type of AOB abuse is a scam and must be stopped," added Haskins.

These lawsuits are driving up costs for consumers, as we all pay for this abuse in the form of higher insurance costs. NICB will continue to work with lawmakers in Florida to stop this type of abuse against consumers.

NICB Infographic: Don't be a Victim of Auto Glass Fraud (https://www.nicb.org/media/1822/download)

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About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, learning and development, government affairs and public affairs. The NICB is supported by more than 1,400 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $496 billion in insurance premiums in 2018, or more than 81% of the nation's property-casualty insurance. That includes more than 92% ($254 billion) of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more visit www.nicb.org.