CCC Mid-Year Crash Course Update Finds Fewer Claims, More Total Losses and a Growing Self-Pay Market

Higher deductibles and out-of-pocket repairs are pulling small jobs out of the insurance channel, leaving a costlier, more complex claims mix.

Auto claim counts are still falling, but the claims that remain are older, costlier and more technically demanding, according to CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc.’s Crash Course 2026 Mid-Year Update, released Oct. 15.

Claim frequency through September was down 3.5%, compared with an 8.3% decline through the same period in 2025. Repairable estimates fell 5.4% while total loss valuations rose 1.1%. Comprehensive volume was down 9.2%, which CCC attributed to fewer vehicle thefts and relatively isolated catastrophe activity, citing