A recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) analysis says overall automotive claim payment rates have dipped over the past decade, though auto glass companies may be less affected than other automotive repair companies.
WSJ published an article on Aug. 9 addressing the decline. Journalists Jean Eaglesham and Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky analyzed data insurers filed with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners from 2016 to 2026.
The publication found that, in 2026, 10% more automotive liability and medical claims were not paid than in 2016, rising from 35% to 45%.
Insurers reported an increase in fraud as one major reason why claims aren’t paid, the article says. Auto glass shop owners may remember that the National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) has cited fraud concerns as one of its major reasons for promoting its model Motor Vehicle Glass Act.
The WSJ article also reports that many consumers are taking legal action over unpaid claims more quickly than in previous years.
“People are going to litigation as a first step, instead of a last resort,” Sean Kevelighan, chief executive of industry group the Insurance Information Institute, told WSJ.
Auto glass claims typically fall under the title of auto damage rather than liability. In fact, AAA says that auto glass accounts for 30% of all damage claims filed in the United States.
The rate of unpaid automotive damage claims hasn’t changed much over the past decade, WSJ says. Damage claims went unpaid at a rate of 22.9% in 2016, versus 23.5% by the beginning of 2026.
