Questionable insurance claims rise in Columbus, Ohio

Questionable insurance claims increased 36 percent statewide from 2009 to 2011, and Columbus kept pace, recording the second-highest amount last year, behind only Cleveland, a new report shows. The number of Ohio claims referred to the National Insurance Crime Bureau for closer review and investigation was 2,621 in 2011, up from 1,924 in 2009, the agency’s analysis shows. In Columbus, those claims increased 32 percent to 263, from 199 two years earlier. And in Cleveland, the count jumped 74 percent to 292, up from 168. Theft was the leading loss type, followed by collision and bodily injury. The top three questionable claims by policy type were personal automobile, homeowners and commercial automobile.