Animal-strike-related insurance claims are more than twice as frequent in November, compared with the yearly average, according to an analysis of claims from 2006 to 2018 conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).
The severity of claims, measured in dollars insurers pay to cover losses, also soars during the peak deer mating month. The average cost of November animal-strike claims over the 13-year period was $3,560, compared with $2,801 for February, the month with the least severe crashes.
The data does not include information about the type of animal. However, both the timing of the spike in crashes and the greater damage they cause suggest that most of these collisions involve deer, rather than smaller animals.
“The claims follow a very consistent pattern in line with the mating and hunting season over the years, rising rapidly in October, peaking in November, and then dropping off in December and January,” says Matt Moore, Senior Vice President of HLDI.
The five states with the highest November claim frequencies were West Virginia, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Michigan. The claim frequency in West Virginia — 47.8 claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years — was more than three times the national average for the peak month.
