Although claimant satisfaction with auto insurers has declined slightly from 2009, the industry has retained most of the service gains made since 2008, according to the J.D. Power and Assocs. 2010 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study.

The study finds that, while overall satisfaction has declined by five points from 2009, satisfaction remains 19 points higher than in 2008. The slight decline in satisfaction in 2010 is the result of a decrease in satisfaction with settlement, primarily due to a reduction in the number of claimants who considered their settlement to be fair and equitable.

The study measures claimant satisfaction with the claims process for auto physical damage loss. Depending on the complexity of a claim, the claimant may experience some or all of the following factors measured in the study: first notice of loss; service interaction; appraisal; repair process; rental experience and settlement. Of these six factors, settlement is the most important to overall satisfaction and accounts for 37 percent of a claimant's overall claims experience. First notice of loss is the second-most-impactful factor (24 percent).