Best Insurers for Claims in the USA |
5-Star Claims

In the competitive American insurance industry, the claims process is the core battleground for differentiation among providers and is even billed as “the moment of truth”.

Insurance Business America presents a data-driven analysis of insurance claims performance over the last 12 months, across the leading US providers. It’s informed by feedback from the national broker market and based on a range of key service components.

IBA identifies top performers, interprets trends across metrics, and provides insights aligned with premium deal sizes and client service priorities.

1. Key drivers of claims service satisfaction

From survey data collected on claims service expectations, the following components of the claims process were rated as most important by brokers.

These priorities provide a critical lens for evaluating claims performance. Broker partners are clearly seeking operational responsiveness (timeliness) and an open, communicative claims experience (transparency and service), followed by efficient adjustment handling and clear technical competency.

2. Overall performance leaders

The table below lists the top performers by average score across the evaluated components:

These companies earned impressive ratings, showcasing strength across both technical and service-related areas. Their performance becomes even more noteworthy when viewed through the lens of the two most valued dimensions: timeliness and transparency.

3. Component-level analysis

A. Timeliness of responses and payments

• Top scorers: Arch Insurance, Chubb, Liberty Mutual, Farmers Union, Travelers 
   

• Bottom performers: Hartford

Given its 28 percent weight in importance, this metric heavily influences overall satisfaction. The best-performing firms demonstrate operational excellence and responsiveness, crucial for high-value clients managing urgent claims.

B. Transparency and client service

• Top scorers: Arch Insurance, Chubb, Liberty Mutual, Farmers Union 
   

• Lagging scorers: Hartford

Transparency, making up 23 percent of the importance rating, proves to be a sharp differentiator. A low score here, especially below 3.0, suggests communication breakdowns that can erode client trust and retention.

C. Handling of adjustment process

• Top scorers: Arch, Chubb, Liberty Mutual, Farmers Union 
   

• Lowest scorers: Hartford

Efficient and fair adjustments are crucial for customer satisfaction. The consistency of top performers across this and other categories underscores their operational strength.

D. Demonstration of expertise

• Strong performers include Chubb, Liberty Mutual, and Farmers Union, signaling technical competence as an added value during complex claims.
   

• Hartford scored lowest, suggesting potential training or resource gaps.

E. Ease of uploading documents/navigation

• Chubb, Liberty Mutual scored well, reflecting robust tech infrastructure.
   

• Hartford suggests potential friction in the digital journey – impactful for efficiency and broker satisfaction.

4. Correlation with premium deal size

The brokers who IBA surveyed reported varying average premium deal sizes.

Brokers writing higher-average premium accounts ($10,000+) place heightened emphasis on reliability and service clarity. Claims providers like Chubb, Travelers, and AIG – known for complex commercial and specialty coverage – align strongly with the high expectations of this segment.

By contrast, those with lower aggregate scores, may perform better in lower-premium, high-volume markets, where digital simplicity outweighs expert-led service depth.

5. The rise of digital efficiency

The ease of uploading and navigation component, though the least critical (12 percent), reveals interesting patterns:

• High scorers include those investing in portal and process automation (e.g., Arch, Chubb).
   

• Low scorers could face attrition among tech-savvy intermediaries who value seamless experiences.

This dimension is poised to grow in significance as the industry digitizes further.

6. Observations and trends

• Convergence of excellence: The highest-rated providers consistently performed well across all categories, underscoring that excellence in claims is holistic, not siloed.
   

• Specialization vs. scale: Firms like Chubb and Farmers Union leverage specialty knowledge, while Liberty Mutual blends scale with agility.
   

• Inconsistencies among mid-tier providers: Companies like Safeco, AmTrust, and Allstate delivered middling scores signaling inconsistency in service delivery, potentially due to regional variation or segmented customer strategies.

7. Conclusion and strategic implications

For brokers and corporate risk managers, the best claims partners are those who combine speed, clarity, and technical competence. The 2025 data clearly shows:

• Top-tier carriers like Chubb, Liberty Mutual, and Farmers Union not only meet but exceed expectations across critical components. They should be considered benchmark partners for high-premium and complex risks.
   

• Travelers Insurance offers a solid all-around service, particularly well-suited for mid-to-upper market accounts seeking balance between digital access and technical depth.
   

• Lower-performing carriers need urgent investment in responsiveness and transparency to remain competitive in a tightening market.
   

• Ultimately, for firms managing portfolios in excess of $10,000 in average premiums, aligning with high-performing claims providers is essential not just for customer satisfaction, but for operational efficiency and reputational resilience.
   

For brokers, carriers, and claims professionals, understanding what clients value during the critical claims process is essential to sustaining loyalty and securing renewals. There’s a widespread consensus across the industry that claims handling has improved, placing a greater level of expectation on providers.

A trio of experts offered their analysis on what truly moves the needle when it comes to claims:

• Jeff Arnold, founder, RightSure
   

• David J. Dybdahl Jr., CEO, American Risk Management Resources Network
   

• Sean O’Neill, head of global insurance practice, Bain & Company

Time to deliver

O’Neill aptly states that claims are the “moment of truth” in insurance. Clients don’t judge insurers by policy language; they judge them by how efficiently and transparently their claims are handled. 

“It’s the moment that the ‘promise of protection’ is realized,” says O’Neill.

He also points to the importance of tech and how it can create more efficient claims procedures.

“Online portals that enable online capture of the loss event can help to expedite the claims process. It means being able to notify that a loss event took place, but also to describe the specifics of the accident or event, submit the requisite documents and images, is an important capability.”

However, technology alone isn’t enough. Brokers need fast, clear answers from carriers about coverage status, exclusions, and resolution timelines so they can effectively advocate for their clients.

“You don’t want the customer to have false expectations,” says Dybdahl. “If that leads to an uncovered claim, it tends to be identified as a claims problem, which is unfair. It might be that the policy’s actual coverage was different than what the customer thought they were buying. You end up with a bad claims experience and sometimes coverage litigation.”

Being flexible 

Arnold explains how the leading claims providers have avoided an overreliance on portals and apps, instead pursuing a dual approach that incorporates both technology and the human touch. 

While a robust claims portal that allows document and image uploads is crucial for scalability, it can’t be everything.

“Maybe a customer doesn’t want to send a photo, maybe they want to talk to someone,” adds Arnold. “Tech portals are great as they give the consumer more control over the process, but we must meet them where they are. And if where they are is on the phone wanting to talk to a human, we need to be able to solve that.”

Clarity, speed, and empathy drive retention

Ultimately, a poor claims experience can quietly drive business away. Brokers take note and Dybdahl points out that they will divert clients away from underperforming carriers.

This underscores the need for insurers to continually refine their claims to protect brand equity. A streamlined, empathetic, and clearly communicated claims experience is no longer a differentiator – it’s the baseline for staying competitive in an increasingly transparent marketplace.

O’Neill says, “Best-in-class carriers not only provide clarity at, or shortly after, the notice of loss but throughout the process.”

 

• Dybdahl: “Keep the broker in the loop of communication. In the default mode, the broker is not involved, so it takes proactive engagement.”
   

• Arnold: “The biggest pain point in claims now is speed. Speed to respond to the customer, speed to allow the customer to file the claim, and speed to move the claim along to the final process. We need every member of every claims organization to understand that speed is paramount.”
   

• O’Neill: “To improve claims is to keep the “claims triangle” in balance – that is, balancing losses or indemnity with loss adjustment costs and with the desired claimant experience. Over-indexing on any one of these three vectors leads to an unsustainable claims process over the long term. Best practice companies orchestrate a lot of moving parts, such as triaging the claim appropriately at the outset (and as close to the moment of loss as possible) to put it on the right path, verifying coverage of the loss quickly, adjusting and paying what you owe and doing all of this with the right experience in a moment of loss. There is no ‘silver bullet’ singular thing that improves the claims process, but carefully orchestrating many things is the key.”
   

At the forefront of the evolving landscape is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, which is rapidly redefining claims service delivery. AI-powered tools now enable automated claims submission, real-time risk assessment, and fraud detection, resulting in faster settlements and improved accuracy. Insurers using chatbots, machine learning models, and digital workflows are also enhancing customer satisfaction while significantly reducing operational costs. 

The importance of digital tools was shown by the J.D. Power 2025 US Property Claims Satisfaction Study. Customers who use insurer apps to file claims, submit photos, and receive updates reported higher satisfaction. Among Gen Z and Millennials, 87 percent are comfortable managing claims digitally. However, nearly 40 percent of Boomers and Pre-Boomers say they are not comfortable doing the same. 

The research also showed that overall satisfaction scores are lower when insurers initiate a premium increase unrelated to having a claim than those who did not experience a premium increase. 

In addition, the data reveals that satisfaction is more than twice when customers say it is very easy to communicate with their insurer than when it is very difficult or somewhat difficult. Common failure points include often leaving voicemails, calling with questions repeatedly, and not receiving timely follow-up emails and text messages. 

“In fact, 82 percent of customers are interacting often with their insurer via their non-preferred communication channels,” says Mark Garrett, director of insurance intelligence at J.D. Power.  

Best Insurers for Claims in the USA |
5-Star Claims

• 
  AmTrust
   
  
• 
  Arch Insurance
   
  

• AIG
• Allstate
• Chubb
• Farmers Union Insurance Company
• Hartford
• Liberty Mutual
• Safeco
• Travelers Insurance
• USAA