Q&A
How is a "Policy Limit Search" defined?
PLR defines a policy limit search as a search to identify the most likely insurance limits that an at-fault party has when assessing potential case viability.
Why are insurance companies not disclosing the policy limits?
While state law is shifting toward transparency, many insurance companies continue to withhold policy limits to prioritize corporate profit over the needs of injured parties.
By keeping coverage details confidential, insurers protect their capital, continue investing policyholder premiums, and often pressure claimants into accepting "shady" settlements before the true value of the available coverage is known. This steadfast refusal to cooperate is a calculated tactic; insurers traditionally analyze the issue completely "upside down," arguing that disclosing large limits encourages claimants to incur extensive medical care. In reality, this lack of transparency is a widespread and documented issue that creates a significant barrier for personal injury attorneys and their clients.
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Even in jurisdictions with established legal precedents, some major insurers demonstrate a "steadfast refusal" to be transparent. For example, attorney Barry P. Goldberg has noted that even when handled by the nation's largest auto insurer, he has seen instances where "State Farm refused to follow the law in this area."
We have gathered evidence of insurance companies failing to seek consent from their own policyholders to release policy information even when a claimant’s attorney makes a formal request.
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This is particularly damaging for clients who require immediate medical treatment but want to avoid a healthcare lien that might exceed an unknown settlement amount. In fact, Goldberg notes that even when a lawsuit is filed—triggering an absolute right to information, experience shows that "State Farm will not voluntarily disclose policy limits information even after a lawsuit is filed contrary to Griffith vs. State Farm!"
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Since 2002, approximately twenty states have moved toward requiring some form of pre-suit or mandatory insurance disclosure because the government has had to step in due to poor claims handling.
For example, Florida Statute § 627.4137 requires insurers to provide a statement under oath regarding policy limits within 30 days of a written request, while Georgia Code § 33-3-28 mandates a similar disclosure within 60 days. In contrast, states like Nevada still maintain minimums of $25,000/$50,000 and generally do not require pre-suit disclosure, leaving injured parties in a difficult "black box" period. California recently addressed this issue through Senate Bill 1107, which increased the mandatory state minimum coverage to $30,000/$60,000 effective January 1, 2025, to better reflect modern costs.
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The policy limit research industry emerged directly in response to these obstructive tactics used by carriers. The industry was originally established in 1978 as a necessary reaction to an insurance system that remains intentionally difficult to navigate.
While the field has decades of history, its growth accelerated significantly from 2002-2020 due to increasing non-disclosure tactics by carriers. Over fifteen specialized research firms have entered the arena to provide attorneys with the critical data they need to make informed decisions for their clients, ensuring they do not have to take "no" for an answer.
Government regulation is constantly evolving to protect injured people, but the legislative process is slow.
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Regardless of any economic ramifications for the industry, Policy Limit Research stands for the full disclosure of insurance limits and supports a future where standardized transparency makes our business no longer a necessity.
How is a policy limit search performed?
Our company identifies probable insurance limits using a multi-faceted approach. First, we combine the entry from the initial request form with our internal research library.
This library contains thousands of detailed notes regarding the state-mandated minimums for various insurance carriers and documented patterns of how these companies have behaved in the past. For instance, in higher-risk states, carriers generally recommend liability limits of at least $100,000/$300,000 for homeowners with stable financial standing to protect their property assets. Conversely, statistical data indicates that millennials residing in low-income rental housing are significantly more likely to carry only the bare state minimums.
Local legislation also plays a critical role in our assessments. In California, a new law effective January 1, 2025, increased the mandatory state minimum coverage to $30,000 for bodily injury per person and $60,000 per accident.
In Nevada, we account for different requirements where the state minimums currently sit at $25,000/$50,000. We study guidelines of all 50 states. Furthermore, we track the specific business models of various insurers, noting that some carriers choose not to offer any options above the state minimums at all. In contrast, other high-end providers typically only write policies with six-figure limits.
By combining these regional legal standards with the specific habits and tiers of different insurance carriers, we can accurately reverse-engineer the most likely policy choice for any given individual.
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To ensure our assessment is as accurate as possible, we then run a search through a private investigative database to examine an individual’s overall socioeconomic standing.
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During this investigation, we look closely at an individual's assets. We also verify their vehicle ownership and confirm their current place of employment along with several other indicators.
Even marriage and family dynamics play into likely underwriting considerations. By gathering these specific details, we can build a clear profile of a person's financial responsibilities, assets, and ultimately, policy limits.
Do you contact the insurance company or the defendant?
No.
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Currently, there is no legal avenue in any state to obtain information from an insurance provider without the express consent of the insured party. Beyond the legal restrictions, it is unethical to contact any party that is already represented by legal counsel.
For these reasons, Policy Limit Research does not communicate with insurance companies, agencies, claims departments, or defendants at any stage of the research process.
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The landscape for disclosure varies significantly from one jurisdiction to another. In some states, insurance companies are under a legal duty to disclose policy information, while in many others, they are not. Our role is to step into the gap where disclosure is not mandated or provided.
We focus on assessing the same considerations an insurance company would take into account when writing a policy in the first place. By conducting an independent investigation of a defendant’s socioeconomic standing, we can provide a high-probability determination of their coverage without the need for direct contact or inquiries.