A study from the Insurance Research Council (IRC) entitled, "Florida Auto Injury Insurance Claim Environment, 2007 Final Report," concludes that the increased use of diagnostic tests and chiropractic treatment along with an increased rate of lawyer retention by claimants have helped fuel rapid growth in personal injury protection (PIP) claim costs in Florida.

The study's results show that the average total claimed PIP economic loss, consisting primarily of medical expenses, increased 18 percent from $8,289 in 2002 to $9,769 in 2005. Average claim payments increased 24 percent, from $4,606 in 2002 to $5,712 in 2005. During the same period, the general rate of inflation was nine percent, and the rate of inflation for medical services was 13 percent.

Among the primary cost drivers was increased use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services, according to the study. The proportion of PIP claimants who had an MRI rose from 26 percent of all PIP claimants in 2002 to 33 percent in 2005. The study also reported that another key cost driver is rapid growth in the cost of computerized tomography (CT) services. The average total CT charge for PIP claimants increased 31 percent, from $2,755 in 2002 to $3,601 in 2005.