My friend hit a deer once with his saturn, it ran off into the woods, but not before he hit the guardrail too. The insurance wouldn’t cover his accident unless he was able to produce proof that he hit the deer.
Ummm…the insurance should cover his accident regardless of whether or not he hit a deer or just the guardrail. That’s what insurance is for, so you only pay a deductable when you screw up and hit someone/thing, not the full cost of the damage. (and to protect you from liability if you injure someone else)
Jman
Keep a disposable camera in your glove box. Take pictures of blood and hair on the car. You should take pictures of any accident you are involved in, it definitely won’t hurt!
Hmmm… I’ve had my insurance cover me hitting a deer even though I didn’t report it for several days after the fact and I had washed the car so all the blood and gore was gone. I’d have your friend check again. All I had to do was go to the local police station and file an accident report.
What would they accept as proof?
I live in an area crawling with deer. I’ve hit three and my wife has hit one. We have never had any problem with our insurance company. In 2 of our accidents, there was no ‘proof’ of an accident except for the damaged vehicle.
If that’s the best that your friend’s insurance can do, I’d say that it was time for a change.
Jman-- If miamouse’s friend only has Comprehensive coverage on his Saturn, then insurance wouldn’t cover running into a guard rail (assuming the insurance company doesn’t believe there ever was a deer).
I worked in an insurance office for quite some time, and there are a LOT of people who try to file fraudulent claims, that’s why adjusters are a little paranoid about deer claims. If there really was a deer, and the friend really did strike the deer, then I would try to file the claim again.
It’s important to remember that even if you swerved to MISS a deer, but then ran into something else (and not the actual deer) it’s still a collision claim.
Hope that all made sense!
I hit a deer once with my MR2 and the deer got up, dusted himself off and ran off. no blood or gore but a nicely destroyed front end on my car. The car was still driveable. My ins co paid for actual repairs and never asked for proof. I did file a police report at the time of the accident though cause I was worried about the deer. Cop went back and searched the area though and didn’t find him so I guess he was ok. I’m in GA and I had full coverage though.
Pardon my ignorance here; does the term ‘comprehensive’ somehow mean ‘less than complete’ in the US? (in the context of insurance).
The short answer is “yes.”
Somebody will elaborate more, but “collision” covers collisions with other vehicles and stuff like light poles, guard rails, etc. “Comprehensive” covers … um … other stuff. Vandalism, a tree falling on your car, that sort of thing. And, apparently, collisions with animals. The two do not overlap.
The line between the two is very clearly drawn, but I don’t know precisely where it lies. Someone who does will surely come along…
How strange.
Sorry Knighted Vorpal Sword for hijacking your thread, I hope this is what you meant to put in before the board ate it.
Back home theres a sizeable estate owned by The Duke of Abercorn and someone has decided that if one of his deer runs out infront of your car and you kill it you pay for it, whether or not there are any extenuating circumstances. As for insurance, dunno.
I had some real PC/network problems yesterday. Here’s what I originally said:
**We were on our way to Breezewood, PA (town of motels) last Saturday night when my wife started to scream. In the dark, she saw a deer trotting across I-70, heading for the front of our van. Luckily, I swerved right (we were in the right lane of a two lane road), and missed the deer. There was a truck behind me, and in my rear view mirror I saw it stop, so I assume it hit the deer.
The question is, what are my responsibilities if I had hit the deer? Do I wait at the side of the road and call 911? I don’t want to get near the animal, as wild animals in pain will bite and kick. I also don’t want to use the van to block traffic, because it’s dark (@11:30 p.m.) and because Mrs. KVS and all the little KVS’s are in the van.
So, what do I do?[\b]
KVS,
The last time that I hit a deer (that didn’t run away), I went back home, retrieved a rifle and put the deer out of its misery. Then I called the game warden and told him what happened. He asked me if I wanted a carcass tag so that I could legally get it processed. I said no thanks.
In your situation, there probably wouldn’t be too much that you could do. If traffic permitted and the animal was clearly dead, you might consider dragging it off of the road. Usually, if they’re not dead, they manage to crawl off on their own.
I certainly wouldn’t block traffic or even pull over with the lights flashing due to the dreaded “moth effect”. I wouldn’t call 911 but might consider calling the Sheriff’s department or similar governmental agency.
Sorry, I had completely forgotten about the fact that some people don’t get collision insurance. I didn’t have it on my first car, since it was so old, but since then I just take it for granted…and I even have different deductables for collision/comprehensive! Just not thinking it through all the way.
[slight hijack]
Will a meat processor accept the deer?
The processor I take deer to (if I’m lucky enough to get one during deer hunting season) has a sign that says “NO ROAD KILL DEER.” He will NOT process a deer that’s been hit by a car. Why? I’m not sure, but I suspect it’s because he’s afraid someone will bring him a deer they found along the side of the road and claim that they “just hit it with their car an hour ago.”
[/slight hijack]
Crafter_man,
I think that depends on the processor and how well he knows you. I have a good friend that owns a locker plant and for the most part, he doesn’t like to take roadkill. Usually, the meat on the side that was hit isn’t any good. Also, if some of the internal organs (like the liver or bladder) have been injured, much of the meat will be spoiled.
Actually, my friend doesn’t really like taking deer at any time but I think that’s because he has to deal with a really high volume in a short amount of time. (500 - 600 in a 2 week period)
I never hit a deer in 25 years & I live in a deer area where they are protected better than the state flower.
I would look at my insurance papers to see what they say. Maybe I could sue the deer?