Grand Old Party Fouls: 2014 Clumsiest States Index Reveals Red States Outpace Blue States in Device Damage

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 3, 2014) - SquareTrade^®, the #1-rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers, today released the results of its annual Clumsiest States Index.¹ The Index reveals how states fare when it comes to their citizens' rate of device accidents and damage, based on warranties purchased during the calendar year 2013. In what is now a national epidemic, SquareTrade expects that more than 54 million smartphones and tablets will be damaged or will die in 2015. This is the third consecutive year SquareTrade has published its Clumsiest States Index.

"With Election Day right around the corner, we immediately noticed the symmetry at the top and bottom of this year's rankings: the ten clumsiest states are comprised of six red states and four blue states, and vice versa for the ten least clumsy states," said SquareTrade's CMO Ty Shay. "But regardless of your political persuasion, device damage is clearly on the rise; we hope that as we move into the busy holiday season, Americans keep their devices safe and protected."

This year's rankings include claims data for all brands of smartphones and tablets, whereas previous Clumsiest States Indexes were based on iPhone damage claims alone.

*Based on Electoral College results from 2012 presidential election

About SquareTrade
SquareTrade is the top-rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers for its fast and exceptional service. SquareTrade protects mobile devices, laptops and tablets, and other consumer electronics and appliances from malfunctions, accidental damage and life's frequent mishaps. Unlike old-fashioned warranties, SquareTrade is designed for today's consumer and uses innovative technology to deliver a zero hassle claims process. SquareTrade has more than 200,000 fans on Facebook, consistently wins industry awards and receives thousands of 5-star reviews for its legendary customer service. Top retailers around the world offer SquareTrade, achieving significant sales growth and happier customers. Privately held, SquareTrade's investors include Bain Capital and Bain Capital Ventures. SquareTrade is headquartered in San Francisco and London. For more information, go to www.squaretrade.com.

SquareTrade is a registered trademark of SquareTrade, Inc. All other company and brand names may be trademarks of their respective owners and SquareTrade is not affiliated, sponsored, authorized or otherwise associated with the above named companies.

¹ Based on the August 2014 Smartphone Subscriber Market Share report from comScore, Inc., the State of the Tablet Market report from TabTimes Inc., and analysis by SquareTrade of its mobile and tablet protection plans sold in 2013. The number of plans with a claim was compared to the total number of plans sold to generate rankings by state.