What Happens If I Hit An Animal While Driving? There are many areas in Southwestern Ohio where animals cross the roads freely. It can get very difficult to spot animals when driving, especially if they suddenly appear in front of your car at night. If you happen to hit an animal while driving, you can speak to a personal injury lawyer to find out about your legal rights and what to do in terms of insurance coverage. It is important to know the different scenarios involving accidents with animals while driving and how it will affect your insurance coverage.
Was it a wild animal or a domestic animal?
Accidents involving wild animals on the road are treated differently from those involving domestic animals. If an accident is caused by a domestic animal, then the animal’s owner will be held responsible.
But when a wild animal is involved in an accident, any responsibility and costs associated with the accident can fall on the driver of the car.
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What happens if I hit a wild animal while driving?
If you hit a wild animal on the road and nothing else, your insurance company will cover the damages. The amount that is covered by the insurance company depends on the kind of car insurance you have, the terms of your policy, and the kind of damages and injuries caused.
What happens if a collision was caused by a wild animal?
This is where things can get a bit complicated. You may have tried to avoid the wild animal and ended up either crashing into something else or worse, into another vehicle. In such a case, you will be found responsible for the accident and will have to take liability for the costs involved.
This is because though it is a morally terrible thing to run over animals, the law finds it unreasonable to put another human being’s life in danger.
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What to do if you hit a wild animal while driving
Car accidents involving animals are difficult to predict. As a result, people often don’t think of what needs to be done if they have hit an animal. Here are some things you need to do if you have hit an animal while driving:
- Make sure you have adequate car insurance to cover the damages. Having a good liability coverage can be extremely useful. This is something you should do to be prepared for any unforeseen accidents involving animals.
- If you hit an animal while driving, pull over to the side, and find the animal. Though it is not advisable to approach a wild animal, it is important to check if the animal was a wild animal or a domestic one. One of the ways to check this is to see if the animal has any identification tag on it. If the animal has identification tags, then it is likely that it has an owner nearby.
Accidents involving animals can be tricky to handle. Contact us if you have hit an animal while driving and get a free case evaluation.
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