Oil prices are giving claims costs a hit, and depending on the part of the country, the exposure for replacement and repair costs of roofing, synthetic flooring or vinyl siding may be considerable and vary broadly, a new report shows. Verisk identified three “petroleum-intensive material categories” that account for the largest share of oil-related claims exposure. According to the report, claims costs for various materials are broadly varying, depending on what the area of the country: vinyl siding claims are most impacted across parts of the Midwest, while roofing-related costs are big in storm-prone southern states. Most claims departments know what materials are impacted in which areas, but the report enables them to put data behind their assertions, Ault said. Their pricing data and everything that encompasses that — going even as deep as policyholder decision making and psychology — that’s all incorporated in our claims data.