Unpaid Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

The following table presents the activity in the liability for unpaid loss and loss adjustment expense ("LAE") for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 ($ in millions):


	September 30,
	2024		2023
Unpaid loss and LAE at beginning of period	$	262.3	$	256.2
Less: Reinsurance recoverable at beginning of period (1)	120.2		124.6
Net unpaid loss and LAE at beginning of period	142.1		131.6
Add: Incurred loss and LAE, net of reinsurance, related to:
Current year	220.6		219.0
Prior years	(6.3)		(3.6)
Total incurred	214.3		215.4
Deduct: Paid loss and LAE, net of reinsurance, related to:
Current year	138.7		133.4
Prior years	63.5		71.6
Total paid	202.2		205.0

Unpaid loss and LAE, net of reinsurance recoverable, at end of period	154.2		142.0
Reinsurance recoverable at end of period (1)	140.0		113.1
Unpaid loss and LAE, gross of reinsurance recoverable, at end of period	$	294.2	$	255.1

(1) Reinsurance recoverable in this table includes only ceded unpaid loss and LAE.

Unpaid loss and LAE includes anticipated salvage and subrogation recoverable.

Considerable variability is inherent in the estimate of the reserve for losses and LAE. Although management believes the liability recorded for losses and LAE is adequate, the variability inherent in this estimate could result in changes to the ultimate liability, which may be material to stockholders' equity. Additional variability exists due to accident year allocations of ceded amounts in accordance with the reinsurance agreements, which is not expected to result in any changes to the ultimate liability. Other factors that can impact loss reserve development may also include trends in general economic conditions, including the effects of inflation. The Company had favorable development on net loss and LAE reserves of $6.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, and favorable development on net loss and LAE reserves of $3.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The favorable loss development of $6.3 million is primarily due to better than expected loss reserve emergence on homeowners multi-peril and pet lines of business, offset by the impact of an extra-contractual car claim liability related to pre-acquisition Metromile. No additional premiums or returned premiums have been accrued as a result of prior year effects.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, current accident year incurred loss and LAE included $5.0 million from hurricane Helene and $4.0 million from hurricane Beryl. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, current accident year incurred loss and LAE included $10.0 million from winter storm Elliott and $3.5 million from the hail storm that impacted customers in Texas. The net incurred loss and LAE represent the Company's best estimates based upon information available as of September 30, 2024 and 2023.

In the ordinary course of business, the Company cedes losses and LAE to reinsurance companies. These arrangements reduce the net loss potentially arising from large or catastrophic risks. Certain of these arrangements consist of excess of loss and catastrophe contracts, which protect against losses exceeding stipulated amounts. The ceding of risk through reinsurance does not relieve the Company from its obligations to policyholders. The Company remains liable with respect to losses and LAE ceded in the event that any reinsurer does not meet obligations assumed under the reinsurance agreements. The Company does not have any significant unsecured aggregate recoverable for losses, paid and unpaid including Incurred But Not Reported ("IBNR"), loss adjustment expenses, and unearned premium with any individual reinsurer.

The Company maintains proportional reinsurance contracts which cover all of the Company's products and geographies, and transferred, or “ceded,” a specified percentage of the premium to reinsurers ("Proportional Reinsurance Contracts"). The Company also opted to manage the remaining percentage of the business with alternative forms of reinsurance through non-proportional reinsurance contracts ("Non-Proportional Reinsurance Contracts").

The Company maintains proportional reinsurance contracts which provide protection on covered risks. The Company agreed to the terms of a reinsurance program effective July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 which included Whole Account Quota Share Reinsurance Contracts by and among the Company, Lemonade Insurance Company ("LIC"), Metromile Insurance Company ("MIC") and Lemonade Insurance N.V. ("LINV"), and each of Hannover Ruck SE, MAPFRE Re, and Swiss Reinsurance America Corporation (collectively referred to as “Reinsurers”) ("Reinsurance Program"). Under the Reinsurance Program, which covers all products and geographies, the Company transfers, or "cedes," a share of premium to the Reinsurers. In exchange, these Reinsurers pay the Company a ceding commission on all premiums ceded to the Reinsurers, in addition to funding the corresponding claims, subject to certain limitations, including but not limited to, the exclusion of hurricane losses, and a limit of $5,000,000 per occurrence for non-hurricane catastrophe losses. The overall share of proportional reinsurance under the Reinsurance Program is approximately 55% of premium. The Per Risk Cap across the contracts is $750,000. Additionally, the contracts are subject to loss ratio caps and variable ceding commission levels, which align the Company's interests with those of its Reinsurers, and is settled primarily on a funds-withheld basis. The Reinsurance Program was renewed effective July 1, 2024 and will expire on June 30, 2025, with similar terms to the contracts that expired on June 30, 2024, except for the limit per occurrence for non-hurricane catastrophe losses which increased to $10,000,000.

LIC and LINV entered into a Property Per Risk Excess of Loss Reinsurance Contract with a panel of reinsurance companies (the "PPR Contract"), and LIC entered into an Automatic Facultative Property Per Risk Excess of Loss Reinsurance Contract with Arch Re (the "Automatic Facultative PPR Contract"), each effective from July 1, 2023 until June 30, 2024. Under the PPR Contract, claims in excess of $750,000 are 100% ceded up to a maximum recovery of $2,250,000, subject to certain limitations. The PPR Contract was renewed at similar terms effective July 1, 2024 and will expire on June 30, 2025. The Automatic Facultative PPR Contract, in which claims in excess of $3,000,000 are 100% ceded with a potential recovery of at least $10,000,000, subject to certain limitations, expired on June 30, 2024, and was not renewed.

MIC entered into a Quota Share reinsurance agreement effective January 1, 2022 and expired on June 30, 2023 Under the terms of the agreement, the Company ceded 30% of premiums and losses to reinsurers.

The Company also entered into a reinsurance program to protect against catastrophe risk in the U.S. that exceed $80,000,000 in losses effective July 1, 2022 and expired on June 30, 2023.

The Company entered into an Excess of Loss ("XOL") Reinsurance Contract through a captive in Bermuda in which the Company has variable interest, primarily to cover catastrophe risk over the initial $50,000,000 limit for each loss occurrence, and further subject to a limit of $80,000,000 for each loss occurrence and in aggregate, primarily on property and auto business underwritten by LIC. This XOL reinsurance contract became effective July 1, 2023 and expired on June 30, 2024. The Company renewed the XOL reinsurance contract, effective July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 at similar terms and was expanded to include risks written by MIC.

The Company is also exposed to some risks from MIC ceded through the Quota Share ("QS") Reinsurance Contract which is retained in an offshore captive subsidiary, Lemonade Re SPC. This QS reinsurance contract became effective July 1, 2023 and shall remain in force for an indefinite period until terminated by either party.

Through the offshore captives, the Company is exposed to the risk of natural catastrophe events and other covered risks under the reinsurance contracts from policies underwritten by LIC and MIC.