Insurance Claim Statistics (2026): Auto, Liability, D&O & Abuse-Claim Data for Volunteer Programs
Verified 2026 insurance claim statistics for nonprofits and volunteer programs: auto and homeowners claim data, D&O and abuse-liability costs, and screening gaps.
On this page
Insurance claims are the financial side of volunteer risk. When a volunteer drives a car, injures a client, or is accused of misconduct, the cost lands on the organization, its insurer, and its mission. This report pulls together the claim figures we could verify for 2026, from regulators, the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), and nonprofit-focused risk publications, and explains what they mean for volunteer-led organizations. It is part of our statistics hub on volunteer screening.
Key takeaways
How often claims happen: auto frequency
Claim frequency tells you how often a policyholder files. Triple-I's auto data for 2024 shows that 4.16% of collision policyholders and 3.95% of comprehensive policyholders had a claim, while only a small share of people with liability coverage filed a bodily injury claim. The gap matters for volunteer programs: a single volunteer who drives a client to appointments can produce a claim far more often than a volunteer who only works on a desk.
How severe claims have become
Severity, the average cost per claim, has moved faster than frequency. Triple-I's private passenger auto table shows bodily injury liability severity rising from $17,014 in 2015 to $26,178 in 2023. The same table shows property damage liability severity climbing from $3,628 to $6,554 over that period. Rising severity means a single incident now carries more financial weight, even when claim counts are flat.
Comparing the two liability lines in 2023 makes the spread clear. Bodily injury claims averaged more than four times the property damage figure.
Nonprofit governance and D&O claims
Directors and officers (D&O) coverage handles claims against board members and leaders. A Towers Watson D&O survey, as cited by Embroker, found that 63 percent of nonprofits reported a D&O claim in the past 10 years. A nonprofit-focused broker summarizing the same data reports that 85–94% of D&O claim dollars come from employment-related allegations. For volunteer programs, that means HR-type disputes with staff and volunteers are a major share of exposure. Staff-related claims are also covered by employment practices liability (EPLI), which can extend to volunteers.
Broker commentary also notes that nonprofits file twice as many D&O claims as for-profit counterparts. Defense costs can outrun the settlement itself, which is why limits matter as much as premiums.
Volunteer-specific liability exposure
Volunteer claims are not one category. A nonprofit's general liability policy often covers volunteers, but sexual misconduct and abuse claims are usually excluded unless a separate endorsement is purchased. Abuse and molestation claims are excluded from standard general liability policies, and a More ArticlesThanksgiving Food Drive Statistics (2026): Hunger Data, Holiday Cost Pressure & Volunteer Supply
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