July 22, 2013—Satisfaction with the auto claims experience held steady in the second quarter of 2013 compared with the first quarter according to a J.D. Power & Associates study released Monday.

Small improvements in satisfaction with repairable claims were offset by significant declines in satisfaction among total loss claimants, according to the J.D. Power 2013 Auto Claims Satisfaction StudySM—Wave 3.

The declines may be due to the impact of more claims filed in the Mid-Atlantic region after damages from superstorm Sandy at the end of October 2012 and a powerful nor'easter storm in February 2013.

Although the overall satisfaction rating is up two points, the Mid-Atlantic region showed significant declines of 71 points with the appraisal process and 76 points with the settlement process, according to Jeremy Bowler, senior director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power.

The average time it takes for insurance agencies to respond to claims stayed nearly consistent. The only area that rose significantly was the time it took to receive settlement payments for total loss claims, increasing from 16.6 days in the first quarter to 20.9 days in the second.