According to the Insurance Department of Pennsylvania, motorists in Pennsylvania may not be surcharged or have their policy non-renewed if the claim(s) resulting from the accident(s) in the preceding three years do not add up to more than the current threshold amount after payment of any deductible, or if the insurance company is reimbursed for at least 60 percent of the total amount of the paid claim.

A surcharge is an additional premium charge, for a limited number of years, that is applied to your insurance policy if you are involved in certain moving violations, suspensions or accidents. Surcharge information is specified in your policy package of endorsements.

In PA various factors can change the cost of your auto premium, including adding or increasing coverages, adding another vehicle to the policy, replacing an older vehicle with a newer one, adding a new driver, changing the usage of the vehicle (driving to work, using for business purposes), claims, moving violations, increasing the number of miles per year and moving to another area.

In addition, your company may have been granted a rate increase since your renewal. Some rate increases are not due to a specific incident or condition of your policy but rather, are applied to all policyholders with the company. Specific questions on rate increases should be directed to your insurance producer (agent) or company.

We contacted the PA insurance regulator to clarify if your insurance company could raise your rates due to the deer hitting your vehicle. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department's Bureau of Consumer Services stated to us that an insurer in PA can only surcharge your policy and increase the premium due to an at-fault accident. A deer or animal claim is considered a comprehensive loss and is not chargeable under the policy.

So according to Insurance Department of PA your insurer, State Farm, should not be able to raise your rates or surcharge you for making this type of Comprehensive claim since you were not at-fault for a deer hitting your vehicle.

To shop around and make sure you are getting the lowest auto insurance rates available to you in Pennsylvania, click here for instant car insurance quotes.