Partner Interview
Published June 3, 2025
Progressive, Copart, IAA: Auto Claims Process & Choosing Salvage Partners
inpractise.com/articles/progressive-copart-iaa-auto-claims-process-and-choosing-salvage-partners
Executive Bio
Claims Manager at Progressive Insurance
Interview Transcript
Disclaimer: This interview is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. In Practise is an independent publisher and all opinions expressed by guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of In Practise.
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I think this would be more about the outside manager, the individuals managing the contracts and vendors. I don't really know the size of the claims management department. It's probably difficult to clearly distinguish between departments, but just to understand, Progressive is one of the largest insurance companies in the US. How big is it?
The percent estimate is usually over 75% or 80% of the ACV, confirming the vehicle is a total loss and that repair costs exceed the vehicle's worth. A lot of focus is on total losses, options, and conditioning. Insurance companies can lose money by not conditioning vehicles correctly or adding incorrect options. Conditioning is crucial.
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That's great information. This introduction helps understand the process and responsibilities at each layer. If we could start with the authorization levels you mentioned, like $5,000 to $15,000, and so on. How many territories are managed? I guess you won't be nationwide but have specific territories. What are the territorial layers for those claim managers?
As I mentioned, we total about 20% of the vehicles. It's important to note that we conduct estimates in two ways, in person and virtually. Anything that's more complex, that's going to be harder to see in a photo, such as suspension damage, mechanical damage, something that's not just easy to see with the eye, we're going to do that in person, including total losses.
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They need to be trusted, I guess.
The more common scenario, where insurance companies try to gain an edge or avoid losing money, is when the vehicle goes to a non-preferred shop. The preferred shop won't charge storage, so it's not as bad. But a non-preferred shop will charge about $50 a day for storage. If you pick it up on a Friday versus a Monday, that's three days, $150.
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