CTSI five‑year loss analysis shows auto incidents and a deputy accidental discharge drove 2024 costs for Lake County

At a Lake County Board of County Commissioners work session, County Technical Services Inc. (CTSI) senior loss control representative Dana Foley presented a five‑year loss analysis showing the county recorded 33 claims totaling $625,173 from 2020–2024 on the insurance (cap) side and 10 workers’‑comp claims totaling $212,681 for 2024 alone.

Foley told commissioners that Lake County participates in CTSI’s pooled insurance programs and receives equity distributions when the pools perform well. “Out of the CWCP pool, the county got back $92,240 last year; from the cap pool you got back $88,795, and interest distributions added $21,087,” Foley said, noting the returns are a regular benefit of the county’s membership in CTSI.

The nut of the report was that auto‑related incidents remain the county’s largest exposure. Foley said vehicle incidents can trigger multiple lines of coverage — vehicle damage, third‑party liability, property damage and workers’ compensation — and highlighted backing incidents as a recurring preventable cause. “The big trend here is that the three auto claims, two of them were backing related,” Foley said, and she praised adoption of backing‑reduction policies and driver training that reduced backing‑related costs from about 17% of losses in 2023 to roughly 7% in 2024.

On the work‑comp side, Foley identified a single high‑cost indemnity claim — an accidental discharge involving a deputy’s firearm — as the main driver of the pool’s 2024 indemnity costs. When asked about liability and whether the county might recoup funds if litigation or a product recall were successful, Foley said the claims team evaluates each case and pursues recovery “if there are charges to be had,” but emphasized the county’s obligation to care for employees first.

The report covered other recurring loss drivers: vandalism (including an instance at another county’s courthouse that involved an incendiary device), battery‑related fires in laptops and portable devices, and slip‑and‑fall injuries that correlate with Lake County’s freeze‑thaw cycles. Foley recommended a mix of operational and training measures: no‑backing policies and pull‑through parking to reduce backing crashes; periodic defensive‑driving training for staff who drive county vehicles; vehicle spotters for large equipment; improved battery charging practices and appropriate fire extinguishers for lithium‑ion battery thermal‑runaway events; and preventive steps for winter slip risks such as traction materials and footwear guidance.

Commissioners and staff also discussed practical, low‑cost tools the county could deploy: back‑up and vehicle camera systems and in‑vehicle data (“black box”) retrieval, sand/ice material buckets at facilities, signage and refreshers for facility staff, and targeted analysis of departments with higher claim frequency. Foley said CTSI can produce five‑year, department‑by‑department loss reports that would let the sheriff’s office and road and bridge staff compare their performance with other counties in the pool and prioritize trainings.

Foley closed by offering CTSI’s free technical support and training resources and said she would follow up with department‑level reports if the commissioners requested them. Commissioners asked staff to coordinate next steps on defensive driving, departmental reports, and targeted risk‑control follow‑ups.

The county did not take formal votes during the presentation; commissioners requested additional staff follow‑up and a plan for targeted prevention work.

The BOCC meeting packet and Foley’s slides contain the detailed tables and figures Foley described, including the pool‑level totals and the 5‑year trend charts.