Mitchell Releases Latest Edition of Industry Trends Report

For Immediate Release:
February, 2008

Contact:
Jennifer Forman
Sr. Director, Marketing
800-238-9111 x6585
jennifer.forman@mitchell.com

or

Public Relations for Mitchell International:
Kamarolzaman Hashim
Boston Communications
+1.617.292.7316
www.prboston.com

Feature analyzes nation's downward trend
of total loss insurance claim estimates
due to changes in vehicles on America’s roads

San Diego, CA – February 12, 2008 – Mitchell International, a leading provider of information, workflow, and performance management solutions to the collision claims and repair industries, today released the first quarter 2008 edition of its Industry Trends Report (ITR)—the company’s quarterly publication that highlights industry-related trends, news items and statistics.

This edition’s Quarterly Feature, “Total Losses Trending Downwards Since 2004,” analyzes the clear decline in the amount of total loss insurance claim estimates occurring over the past few years. Based on findings from a recent Mitchell analysis of total loss estimates, the article reveals that shifts in vehicle mix—including both vehicle types and origins—and the significant differences in total loss rates between those vehicle categories have contributed to driving this downward trend in total loss claims.

“This study revealed a considerable amount of information surrounding the significant impact that vehicle mix and differences in loss rates between vehicle categories have on declining total losses,” said Jamison Day, Senior Director of Information Solutions at Mitchell International.  “For example, we found that the growth of trucks and Asian nameplate vehicles alike have had a compelling effect since they have generally lower total loss rates than cars and Domestic nameplate vehicles.”

Other valuable points of interest in the current issue of Mitchell’s ITR include:

• At $13,649, the average Actual Cash Value of vehicles appraised for Collision losses during Q4-2007 was $331 more than in Q4-2006 and also reflected the presence of slightly older vehicles.

• The U.S. passenger car population is now the oldest on the road in our history, with the Truck/Van/SUV category driving overall average age and value of the total vehicle population.

Complete content is available in the latest Industry Trends Report, which may be downloaded in PDF format by visiting www.mitchell.com. First published in April 2001, Mitchell’s Trends Report has grown in both content and circulation, now reaching more than 23,000 collision and casualty industry professionals.

About Mitchell International, Inc.
Mitchell International is a leading provider of information, workflow, and performance management solutions to the automotive insurance claims industry, serving carriers, collision repair facilities, and other commercial participants in the physical damage and auto-related medical claims markets. Mitchell facilitates millions of electronic transactions between more than 16,000 business partners each month to enhance their productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction levels. For more information on Mitchell International, visit its Web site at www.mitchell.com.

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