Car Accident Caused By An Animal – How Much Compensation Can I Claim?
Last Updated 16th October 2024. Strange as it may seem, it is not uncommon for a car accident in the UK to be caused by an animal in some way. If you’re in such an accident and sustain injuries of any sort, you may wonder how to claim compensation. So, this guide provides advice on making a road accident caused by an animal claim. And this applies whether or not you’re an animal owner yourself.
If you’d like to learn about the key points from this guide, why not check out our video below:
Select a Section
- A Guide To Making A Road Accident Caused By An Animal Claim
- Who Is At Fault For Road Accidents Involving Livestock Or Farm Animals?
- Can I Claim If My Accident Was Caused By A Wild Animal?
- Could I Claim If My Accident Was Caused By A Stray Cat Or Dog?
- Your Responsibilities After A Car Vs Animal Collision
- What To Do If You Are Involved In A Road Accident Caused By An Animal
- The Most Common Types Of Road Accidents Caused By Animals
- How Much Compensation Could I Get For A Road Accident Caused By An Animal Claim?
- No Win No Fee Road Accident Claims
- Why Choose Us As Your Claims Service For A Road Accident Claim
- Call For Free Advice And To Start A Claim
A Guide To Making A Road Accident Caused By An Animal Claim
The UK is home to several different animals, and whether they are wild or domesticated, or owned by farms or stately homes, sometimes they stray onto our roadways. If this happens, it can cause road accidents that can have devastating consequences for the animal, the driver and passengers in a vehicle and even pedestrians walking nearby.
If you have had the unfortunate occurrence of having been involved in a road accident caused by an animal, you may be surprised to hear that it might be possible for you to claim compensation for your injuries, loss of earnings while recovering and more. Our guide takes you through more information on road accident claims for incidents caused by animals, whether a livestock road collision or one involving a domestic pet and advises you on beginning a compensation claim. In addition, we illustrate how much road accident compensation you may be awarded.
Who Is At Fault For Road Accidents Involving Livestock Or Farm Animals?
In many cases, in a livestock road accident, the owner of the livestock, often a farmer, can be held liable for any accident that animals under their care have caused. If you are worried about their livelihood being affected by any claim, then you must understand that public liability insurance can be and is taken out by most farmers to protect themselves should this type of event occur.
Can I Claim If My Accident Was Caused By A Wild Animal?
According to the road traffic act, animals should be avoided on the road if possible to take evasive action. As the driver of a car that has hit a wild animal, however, it may be unlikely you’ll be able to claim compensation should a wild animal cause you to crash. Wild animals are not deemed ‘owned’ by anyone, so there would be no one liable for the accident. However, if you are travelling in a car as a passenger and sustain injuries due to the driver’s negligent action, it may be possible for you to claim compensation. If you require any more clarity on this point, do not hesitate to call us, and we will be happy to explain the situation in more detail.
Could I Claim If My Accident Was Caused By A Stray Cat Or Dog?
You may be wondering if a dog causes an accident or a stray cat, is it something you can claim for. The truth is, it depends entirely on what has happened and whether anyone is at fault for the dog or cat getting out. When a dog causes car accident, who’s liable in the UK may vary, depending on the situation.
One car accident caused by animal statistics makes for interesting reading. Domestic pets cause hundreds of accidents on our roads each year in the UK, with over a hundred thousand dogs reported missing annually. If the pet’s owner is shown to be negligent in their care of the animal, allowing it to stray onto the roadway, then they may be found to be liable for your injuries. This type of accident is covered in many home insurance policies.
However, when it comes to stray animals, the situation is not so simple and can depend on your position in the accident. If you are a passenger and the driver has not responsibly handled the situation so that an accident could be avoided, you may be able to make a claim. Every case is different, so you should get in touch with our team. That way, you can find out whether you have a case after your road accident caused by an animal.
Your Responsibilities After A Car Vs Animal Collision
By law, all drivers involved in an accident where an animal has been injured or killed should stop at the scene. They are required to swap details with others involved as well as reporting the incident to local police within 24 hours. However, there are some anomalies within the law that do not make it a legal requirement to stop if you hit a cat or a deer. This is because the definition of an animal in the law covers only cattle, mule, ass, goat, pig, horse and dogs.
Most responsible drivers will stop regardless of the type of animal, but it is wise not to approach an animal that has been injured in case it becomes aggressive. You should also only stop if it is safe to do so without causing an obstruction that could be dangerous to other road users. Contacting the police should be done as soon as possible as they will have to attend to ensure an animal receives treatment where required or is dealt with humanely if it cannot be treated. If the animal has perished, then the police should be contacted so they can arrange removal.
What To Do If You Are Involved In A Road Accident Caused By An Animal
If you are involved in a road accident that an animal of any kind has caused, it is best to begin to collate evidence as soon as you can support your claim. The type of evidence you should collect and keep breaks down into the below categories.
- Photo Evidence – Pictures of your injuries, or the scene of the accident, and anything else you may feel is relevant.
- Evidence of costs – Receipts for travel costs for medical appointments, doctor’s bills and prescription receipts
- Witness details – Contact details of anyone witnessing the accident so they may provide a statement at a later date.
- Medical Evidence – Any prescriptions, medical reports etc.
- Notes about the event – Often, writing down the events straight after the incident helps as everything is fresh in your mind.
If you have any questions about what evidence is relevant, then why not get in touch. Our team will be happy to advise you.
The Most Common Types Of Road Accidents Caused By Animals
Animals cause numerous different injuries and accidents. However, the most common are:
Vehicle to animal collision – If a driver cannot stop or swerve to avoid an animal in the road, then a vehicle to animal collision will occur. Some animals on our roads can cause extensive damage to a vehicle when hit as they are quite large and heavy in stature. Therefore, they can cause severe injuries to occupants of the vehicle that has hit the animal.
Vehicle swerving to avoid animals – UK law knows that this can have more dangerous consequences in some cases than hitting the animal with the car. But what if a car comes in the opposite direction? And what if a car swerves onto the wrong side of the road to avoid an animal? Well, a head-on collision with another car could occur.
Emergency stop to avoid hitting animal – If a driver slams on the brakes to avoid hitting an animal, this can cause injuries, even if there is no other traffic on the road. However, if there’s another vehicle behind, this could cause a collision between the braking car and the car behind.
Whether your accident type is here or not, we can tell you if you’re likely to win. Do not hesitate to call us if you need any clarification on this.
How Much Compensation Could I Get For A Road Accident Caused By An Animal Claim?
If your road accident caused by an animal claim is successful, we cannot guarantee an exact figure for your claim, as all claims are unique. However, your compensation may be divided into two heads of claim, known as general and special damages.
General damages are awarded in all successful claims, and compensates you for how you’ve been affected emotionally and physically from the road accident. These factors are some that are considered under this head of claim:
- Loss of amenity.
- The pain severity of your injuries.
- How long it will take to recover from your injuries.
You may be asked to have an independent medical assessment of your injuries. The reports from this can be used alongside the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help legal professionals calculate your general damages.
The JCG is a publication containing guideline compensation brackets for different physical and psychological injuries.
Guideline Compensation
Below, we have taken some injuries from the JCG that could possibly be suffered if you have been in a road accident caused by an animal. Please note, however, that the first figure has not been taken from the JCG.
Please remember that none of these figures can be guaranteed for your road accident caused by an animal claim, as all claims are unique.
- Up to £500,000+ could potentially be awarded for sustaining multiple serious injuries and financial losses.
- Between £111,150 to £196,450 could potentially be awarded for sustaining a severe back injury, where there is severe pain with incomplete paralysis.
- Between £33,880 to £47,320 could potentially be awarded for sustaining a moderate back injury, such as a prolapsed intervertebral disc that requires surgery.
- Compensation in the region of £181,020 could potentially be awarded for sustaining a severe neck injury, such as incomplete paraplegia.
- Between £30,500 to £46,970 could potentially be awarded for sustaining a moderate neck injury, where fractures may necessitate spinal fusion.
- Between £66,920 to £141,240 could potentially be awarded for suffering severe psychiatric damage, where the prognosis is poor and there are marker problems with all aspects of life.
- Between £23,270 to £66,920 could potentially be awarded for suffering moderately severe psychiatric damage, where the prognosis is more optimistic despite there still being problems with all aspects of life.
- £4,345 could potentially be awarded for sustaining whiplash injuries and psychological injuries that lasts between 18-24 months.
- £4,215 could potentially be awarded for sustaining whiplash injuries that lasts between 18-24 months.
Special Damages
Special damages are awarded in some successful claims, and compensates you for how you’ve been affected financially from the road accident. Here are some financial losses you could possibly suffer:
- Loss of earnings if your injuries have required you to take time off work.
- Medical bills, such as prescription costs.
- Travel expenses from making your way to and from medical appointments concerning your injuries.
Additionally to special and general damages, you can also claim for property damage repairs in a personal injury claim, such as repairs to your car.
In order to claim special damages, you must provide evidence, such as receipts, payslips, bank statements, and invoices.
For more information on how much compensation could be awarded for this type of claim, and about the highway code regarding hitting animals, please contact us.
No Win No Fee Road Accident Claims
When it comes to pursuing a claim for road accident compensation, some household budgets will already be under strain. This is particularly true if the main household income decreases due to their sick leave. This should not leave you unable to begin a claim immediately after your road accident caused by an animal.
To this end, we offer a No Win No Fee service for animal road accident claims. Now, this does not require you to pay out any money upfront. Additionally, you don’t pay a penny if your claim submission is not upheld and compensation is refused. The only fees due will be after a successful claim.
This means that we are dedicated to only taking on cases we feel are likely to be successful. Unlike some solicitors that charge by the hour no matter what the outcome of the case, you’ll know that our solicitors will be working hard to ensure you get the compensation you deserve – and the maximum amount possible too.
Why Choose Us As Your Claims Service For A Road Accident Claim?
We believe in our service, and thousands of clients who have successfully pursued compensation claims through our service are likely to agree with our claims that we offer not only a fantastic customer-focused service but one that helps to secure the maximum payout for their compensation claim. We have years of experience in pursuing compensation claims for cases as simple as someone having sustained whiplash when they crashed into an animal on a country road to those more complex situations.
So, we are adept at matching you with the right solicitor. Additionally, we take the time to treat you as a person, not just a patient. We will take the time to answer any questions you may have too. Whatever your question, we will answer it honestly and clearly.
We also like to think we are a champion for what’s right. We do not believe that anyone’s financial situation should stop them claiming compensation for injuries. This is why we offer our clients a No Win No Fee personal injury claims service.
Call For Free Advice And To Start A Claim
It is extremely easy to make an animal collision accident claim via our claims service. Please call 0800 073 8804, where you will speak to one of our experienced team of advisors. We will listen to your story and ask relevant questions to find out the facts we need to know. At this point, we can answer any further questions and explain how your case is likely to proceed.
Our advisor will then connect you with an in-house No Win No Fee animal road traffic accidents solicitor. This focuses on your injuries and the accident details, ensuring we match you with the best solicitor for your case. If you are ready to begin, why not call today?
Helpful Links
Government highway code rules about animals
This is the link to the Highway Code and the portion of the code that concerns animals.
You must report when an animal dies, either as a result of a road accident or otherwise. This link shows you how to go about it.
LegalExpert.co.uk Car Accident Compensation Amounts
Our guide covers compensation for car accidents that don’t involve animal collisions. You may find this information useful.
Newforestnpa.gov.uk animal_accidents
This is a link to the full report on animal accidents in the New Forest
LegalExpert.co.uk Whiplash Compensation Guide
One of the most common injuries in car accidents is whiplash. Here, we have produced a guide to whiplash claims that you may find helpful.
Find out how to claim for an accident caused by faulty traffic lights with our guide.
Thank you for reading our guide about making a compensation claim after a road accident caused by an animal.
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