A loss run report is the claims history an insurance company keeps for a policy: each claim with its date of loss, status, what has been paid and, often, what is still reserved. Businesses request loss runs from every carrier they had in the last five years when they shop for or renew coverage, because underwriters price the new policy from them. Some states set a deadline: Florida gives the insurer 15 calendar days after a written request and Kentucky 20 days for commercial property and casualty policies.
- A loss run lists every claim on a policy, open or closed, with paid amounts and usually reserves and total incurred.
- Ask each carrier you had in the last five years, in writing, and give the policy numbers.
- Incurred is paid plus what is still reserved, so one open claim can outweigh several closed ones.
- Florida and Kentucky set deadlines and a free copy; check your own state's insurance code.
What is a loss run report?
A loss run is the insurer's record of claims under a policy, printed as a report. Florida's statute gives a clear working definition: a loss run statement "means a report that contains the policy number, the period of coverage, the number of claims, the paid losses on all claims, and the date of each loss" (Fla. Stat. 627.444). Kentucky describes it as "a report relating to commercial property and casualty risks maintained by an insurer containing the history of claims occurring within a policy term" (KRS 304.20-100).
Carriers format them differently, but most add the claim number, a short description, open or closed status, paid indemnity, paid expense, the outstanding reserve and a total incurred figure. A loss run is a summary. The adjuster notes, photos, estimates and correspondence stay in the claim file.
This page is general information, not legal advice: it quotes each rule with its source, and your own counsel decides how it applies to you.
Sample loss run report (illustrative template)
A fictional commercial auto and general liability account, three policy years, as a carrier might print it. All names and numbers are made up. Download the sample loss run (CSV).
| Claim | Date of loss | Line | Description | Status | Paid indemnity | Paid expense | Reserve | Total incurred |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-23-0457 | 2023-03-14 | Auto | Van rear-ended a car at a stop light | Closed | $4,850 | $320 | $0 | $5,170 |
| C-23-0912 | 2023-08-09 | Auto | Third-party driver claims neck injury | Open | $12,000 | $3,400 | $18,500 | $33,900 |
| G-23-0118 | 2023-05-30 | GL | Customer slipped at service counter | Closed | $7,500 | $1,250 | $0 | $8,750 |
| C-24-0233 | 2024-02-11 | Auto | Hail damage to two parked trucks ($2,000 salvage recovered) | Closed | $9,600 | $0 | $0 | $9,600 |
| G-24-0301 | 2024-09-02 | GL | Installed part allegedly damaged equipment; reported 43 days late | Open | $0 | $2,100 | $25,000 | $27,100 |
| (2025 term) | Auto | No claims reported | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
The two open claims make up $61,000 of the $84,520 total incurred, even though they are two of five claims. That is the first thing an underwriter will ask about.
How to read each column of a loss run
Read the header first: the valuation date (the date the figures were run) tells you how current the report is. Then read each claim row left to right.
| Column | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Policy number and period | Which policy and term the claims fall under | Every term you were insured is present, including years with no claims |
| Claim number | The carrier's file reference | Use it when you ask the carrier about a claim |
| Date of loss and date reported | When it happened and when the carrier heard | Long gaps read as late reporting |
| Line or coverage | Auto, general liability, property, workers' compensation and so on | Claims are under the right line |
| Status | Open or closed (sometimes reopened) | Closed claims show a closing date |
| Paid indemnity (paid loss) | Money paid to the claimant or to repair the loss | Matches what you know was paid |
| Paid expense (ALAE) | Adjusting and legal costs the carrier paid | Large expense with little indemnity often means a disputed claim |
| Outstanding reserve | The carrier's estimate of what it will still pay on an open claim | Not money paid; it can go up or down |
| Total incurred | Paid plus outstanding reserve | The figure most underwriters rate on |
| Recoveries | Subrogation or salvage money the carrier got back | Whether the report shows incurred gross or net of recoveries |
Open vs closed claims, and paid vs reserved vs incurred
A closed claim is finished: its paid amounts are final and its reserve is zero. An open claim is still being handled, and the carrier holds a reserve for what it expects to pay. Total incurred adds the two: on claim C-23-0912 above, $12,000 paid indemnity + $3,400 paid expense + $18,500 reserve = $33,900 incurred.
Reserves are estimates set by the adjuster and change as the claim develops. A carrier may cut a reserve when a claim settles for less, or raise it when a lawsuit is filed. Not every loss run shows them: Florida's statute says "an insurer is not required to provide loss reserve information" (Fla. Stat. 627.444). If your report shows only paid losses, ask whether any claims are still open.
How to request a loss run, and how long carriers have
Send a written request to each carrier (or ask your agent to) with the named insured, policy numbers and the years you need. Ask for every line you buy and for a recent valuation date. If a carrier has left the market or your agency has closed, request from the carrier directly: the claims history belongs to the insurer, not the agency.
Several states set rules. Two examples, quoted from the statutes:
| State | Deadline | Years covered | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (all lines except life) | "within 15 calendar days" after the insurer receives the insured's written request (Fla. Stat. 627.444) | "the preceding 5 years" (3 years for group health) | "may not charge any fee to prepare and provide annually one loss run statement" |
| Kentucky (commercial property and casualty) | "within twenty (20) calendar days of receipt of a written request" (KRS 304.20-100) | "a five (5) year loss run history for the prior five (5) years" | "shall not charge any fees to prepare and provide one (1) loss run statement" |
In Kentucky, an agent who receives the report "shall provide a copy of the loss run statement to the insured within five (5) calendar days of receipt by the agent" (KRS 304.20-100). Other states set different deadlines or none; check your state's insurance code or ask the department of insurance.
What underwriters look for in a loss run
Underwriters read a loss run for patterns more than for single claims.
- Frequency: many small claims suggest a process problem that will repeat.
- Severity: one large incurred claim, especially open with litigation, can drive the price on its own.
- Open claims and reserve changes: they want to know where an open claim is heading.
- Late reporting: long gaps between date of loss and date reported.
- Trend: whether claims are rising or falling year over year, and what changed.
- Completeness: every carrier and every year, including clean years.
Common mistakes with loss runs, and correcting errors
- Asking only the current carrier. Underwriters want every carrier for the look-back period.
- Sending an old report. Request a current valuation date so open-claim reserves reflect where the claims stand now.
- Leaving open claims unexplained. Add a short note on status, counsel and expected outcome.
- Mixing gross and net figures across carriers. Note which reports subtract recoveries.
- Not checking for claims that are not yours, wrong lines or duplicates. Ask the carrier to correct them in writing and send a corrected report.
- Waiting until renewal week. Request loss runs well ahead of the renewal date so a slow carrier does not hold up the quote.
For carriers, MGAs and TPAs: the claim files behind the loss run are a data asset
The loss run is the summary. Florida's definition says the term "does not include supporting claim file documentation" (Fla. Stat. 627.444). Those files, from first notice through adjuster notes, reserve changes and payment, are what AI developers building claims tools ask to license, because each one links a decision to its outcome.
Who can license them depends on who owns them: usually the carrier or a risk-bearing MGA, not a TPA or adjuster handling files for a client. Personal information limits apply. Under federal law a financial institution "may not, directly or through any affiliate, disclose to a nonaffiliated third party any nonpublic personal information" without the required notice (15 U.S.C. 6802), and that term "means personally identifiable financial information" (15 U.S.C. 6809), so files are de-identified first. State insurance privacy rules add a stricter limit for health information: in states that adopted the NAIC privacy regulation, an insurer "shall not disclose nonpublic personal health information about a consumer or customer unless an authorization is obtained" from that person (11 NYCRR 420.17, New York). See who can license claim files and selling insurance claims data.
If your company keeps years of closed claims files, the guide for claims-file holders explains what AI developers ask for and who signs. To see what yours could be worth, describe them in six questions; no files or system access needed.
Common questions
What is a loss run in insurance?
A loss run is the insurer's report of claims under a policy: claim numbers, dates of loss, status, paid amounts and often reserves and total incurred. Businesses use it to shop for or renew insurance, and underwriters price the new policy from it.
How many years does a loss run usually cover when I request one?
Five years is the usual request and is what Florida and Kentucky require insurers to provide. Florida uses three years for group health. If you have been insured with the carrier for less time, the report covers your full history with that carrier.
How long does an insurance carrier have to send a loss run?
It depends on the state. Florida requires the insurer to provide it within 15 calendar days of a written request, and Kentucky within 20 calendar days for commercial property and casualty policies. Other states set different deadlines or none.
Is a loss run report free to request from my insurance company?
Usually. Florida bars a fee for one loss run statement a year, and Kentucky bars a fee for one loss run statement. Many carriers provide them free in other states too, but check your state's rules.
What does incurred mean on a loss run report?
Total incurred is what the carrier has paid on a claim plus the reserve it still holds for what it expects to pay. On a closed claim, incurred equals paid. On an open claim, incurred can rise or fall as the reserve changes.
Can I still get a loss run if my insurance agency has closed?
Yes. The claims history is kept by the insurance company, not the agency, so request the loss run directly from each carrier with your policy numbers. A new agent can also request it on your behalf.
Who keeps the claim files behind a loss run, and can they be licensed?
The insurer, or a risk-bearing MGA, usually owns the claim files; a TPA or independent adjuster typically holds them for a client. The owner can license de-identified files with outcomes to AI developers, subject to privacy law and its contracts; health information in claim files needs the claimant's authorization under state insurance privacy rules, so it is usually left out.
Is a loss run the same as a claims history?
Yes, in practice. A loss run is the insurer's claims history report for a policy or an insured: each claim with its dates, status and the amounts paid and reserved. Ask each carrier for its own loss run; one carrier's report does not show claims under another carrier's policies.
What should a loss run request letter or email say?
The named insured exactly as on the policy, each policy number and policy period you need (usually the last five years), the lines of coverage, where to send the report, and a signature from the insured or an authorization for the agent or broker who asks. Ask for valued loss runs that show paid and reserved amounts.
Sources and further reading
Origin Data Partners is an independent data partner. We work with buyers, and a buyer may pay us when a deal closes.
- Florida Statutes 627.444: loss run statements for all lines of insurance (2026)
- Kentucky Revised Statutes 304.20-100: loss run statement to be provided upon request
- 15 U.S.C. 6802: obligations with respect to disclosures of personal information (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act)
- 15 U.S.C. 6809: definitions, including nonpublic personal information
- N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 11, 420.17: authorization required for disclosure of nonpublic personal health information (New York adoption of NAIC Model 672)