With November the peak month for Illinois deer crashes, the Fox Lake agency is reminding drivers to confirm their auto policies cover animal strikes.
FOX LAKE, IL, UNITED STATES, November 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Jablonski Insurance is encouraging drivers across the Chain O’Lakes region and Lake County to review their auto policies this October, ahead of the weeks when crashes involving deer are most common in Illinois. The Fox Lake agency writes auto coverage for local drivers, including the comprehensive coverage that typically pays for damage when a vehicle strikes a deer.
The timing reflects state data. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), there were 14,436 crashes involving deer in Illinois in 2024. Of those, 13,733 resulted in damage to property or vehicles, 698 caused injuries, and five were fatal. Forty-two percent of the year’s deer crashes, 6,027 in total, occurred in October, November, and December, with November the highest-risk month at 3,037 crashes. Most of them, 79 percent, happened at twilight or at night, when many commuters are driving to and from work in late fall.
The risk is close to home for Fox Lake drivers. IDOT ranked Lake County among the top five Illinois counties for crashes involving deer in 2024, with 353, while neighboring McHenry County recorded 381. Commuters on Route 12 and the two-lane roads around the Chain O’Lakes regularly share wooded and lakefront stretches with deer, especially around dawn and dusk.
National insurance data shows the same seasonal pattern. State Farm estimates that U.S. drivers filed 1.7 million animal collision claims between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, and that deer were involved in more than 1.1 million of them. October, November, and December accounted for 41 percent of all animal collision claims.
Coverage questions often come up only after a deer strike. A liability-only auto policy, including one written at Illinois minimum limits, does not pay to repair the policyholder’s own vehicle. Comprehensive coverage generally handles damage from contact with an animal, along with hail, flooding, fire, and theft. Collision coverage is what typically applies when a driver swerves to avoid a deer and hits another vehicle, a tree, or a guardrail instead. Each coverage carries its own deductible, so a fall review is a practical time for drivers to confirm that their deductibles fit their budget. Drivers with a financed or leased vehicle are typically required by their lender to carry both.
IDOT advises drivers who see a deer to slow down, brake firmly, and stay in their lane rather than swerve, and to expect more deer to follow the first one. After a crash, the agency recommends pulling onto the shoulder, turning on hazard lights, and calling 911, and it warns drivers not to approach an injured deer or try to move it from the road. Photographs of the vehicle, the road, and the surroundings can also help when a claim is filed.
Jablonski Insurance in Fox Lake, IL reviews auto policies with drivers in Fox Lake, Antioch, Johnsburg, Spring Grove, Round Lake Beach, and surrounding communities, and the agency also writes home, boat, motorcycle, and snowmobile coverage. Clients have access to 24/7 claims support, and the office assists clients in English, Spanish, and Romanian. Drivers can request an auto coverage review by calling (847) 587-3200 or visiting https://jablonskiinsurance.com/services/auto-insurance.
About Jablonski Insurance
Jablonski Insurance is an insurance agency located at 37 South Street 12 Ste 2, Fox Lake, IL 60020. Founded in 2009, the agency provides auto, home, condo, renters, landlord, life, boat, motorcycle, ATV, flood, and business insurance to families and businesses across the Chain O’Lakes, Lake County, and surrounding communities. The Fox Lake team of 11 assists clients in English, Spanish, and Romanian. For more information, visit https://jablonskiinsurance.com/ or call (847) 587-3200.
Media Contact
Jablonski Insurance
Address: 37 South Street 12 Ste 2, Fox Lake, IL 60020
Phone: (847) 587-3200
Website: https://jablonskiinsurance.com/
Brent Jablonski
Jablonski Insurance
+1 (847) 587-3200
brentjablonski@allstate.com
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