Insurance claims stemming from hail-related damage have increased markedly in the past two years, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). In its latest ForeCAST report, NICB points to an 84-percent rise in the number of claims logged in 2012 compared to that in 2010. To put things into perspective, 467,602 hail damage claims were filed in 2010, followed by 689,267 in 2011, and then 861,597 in 2012.

It's no secret the nation has experienced severe storms of escalating magnitude and frequency. These storms have produced damaging winds, tornadoes, hail that have affected a larger swath of the U.S. The reason these storms are occurring in rapid succession is a subject of contentious debate, yet their far-reaching impact is clear—extensive property damage and, by extension, a mound of personal and commercial p&c claims.

Typical property damage from hail events can be as minimal as a few broken shingles or can amount to the decimation of multiple buildings. NICB's report, which focuses solely on insurance claims resulting from hail damage, not loss of life, is divided into two sections. The first analyzes overall U.S. hail loss claims from 2010 through 2012, whereas the second section examines hail loss questionable claims (QC) submitted during the same timeframe.