PARKERSBURG - Insurance industry studies show West Virginia leads the nation in deer-related vehicle collisions while a new study from the state, compiling data from a number of companies, concludes Wood County leads the state in the highest cost of deer-vehicle claims in West Virginia.
According to a study from the West Virginia Insurance Commissioners office, Wood County results in an estimated $2.295 million in annual claims related to deer-vehicle accidents. The commissioner's office collected data from six insurance companies, representing more than 58 percent of the auto coverage market in West Virginia.
Wood County's claims are about $250,000 more than Kanawha County.
Jackson County averages about $1.6 million in annual claims costs.
Pleasants, Doddridge and Gilmer counties are among the lowest. McDowell County was the lowest in the state at $176,241.
According to the report West Virginia drivers made 24,590 deer-related vehicle claims in 2007. The average cost of the claim was just under $2,000, totaling $42 million statewide.
The costs does not factor in; the cost of deductibles; any costs paid under collision coverage (missed the deer, and instead hit the guardrail); any costs paid due to injuries associated with deer-vehicle collisions or any costs where the automobile was not insured for physical damage coverage.
"The statewide loss estimates only consider amounts which are actually paid by insurance companies and are further limited to only those amounts that are paid under the comprehensive portion of auto physical damage insurance coverage," the report stated.
Erin Bailey, an official with State Farm Insurance, said many state drivers do not carry comprehensive coverage.
"Out of all the auto policies in West Virginia -which is 339,000 - there are 61,000 that do not carry comprehensive coverage. You have to select that," she said.
A recent nationwide study compiled by State Farm found West Virginia led the nation in the frequency of deer-related vehicle incidents. Drivers in West Virginia have a 1 in 45 chance of hitting a deer. Michigan was second with a 1 in 78 chance of a deer-vehicle collision. Ohioians have a 1 in 163 chance of deer incidents.
Bailey said her company had about 6,200 accidents claims statewide involving deer in 2007.
Wood County had the highest incidents of claims to State Farm with 355. Kanawha County was second with 305 claims. The commissioner's report showed Wood County had almost 100 more deer-vehicle crash incidents than second-place Kanawha County, 892 compared to 794.
Kanawha County has more than double the number of register vehicles (140,030) than Wood County, but reported less than 2,800 deer harvested in 2007, according to data from the Division of Natural Resources.
Aaron Baughman, an insurance market analyst with the commissioner's office, said Wood County's results may be due to high rate of deer and cars in the county.
"Wood County is in the highest band in terms of the 2007 cull (4,365 according to the DNR), compared to the other counties in that band, also has the highest number of registered vehicles," he said. "If the 2007 cull figures are at all representative of the relative deer population that exists by county, Wood County's results may simply be due to combination of the number of deer in the county and the number of cars in the county."
