Deer and Other Unwanted Animals on the Road

It’s only August, but many people are already preparing for deer season and seeing a high influx of animals on the road. But each year animals on the road, including deer, cows come the squirrels, opossums, and everything else you can imagine in Georgia cause accidents. Animal-related accidents can result in fatalities and serious injuries, and typically there’s no one to blame.

Animal-related accidents are often listed as at-fault accidents on The driver’s insurance policy. Georgia is not a no-fault state, so every crash results in an at-fault assignment. If the driver was in a single-vehicle collision with an animal, then the driver is placed as the responsible party. The best that you can do to avoid accidents with animals is to stay diligent, but even then, sometimes these accidents are outright unavoidable. If you’re involved in a wreck, contact our Georgia car accident attorneys right away.

Deer Season in Georgia

Deer season technically kicks off in the first few days of November. But it’s likely that in the weeks or even months leading up to November, you’ll see a high volume of whitetails skipping across the roadways. Deers do most of their breeding during the spring and early summer months, which is why we start seeing such a high volume of them between the end of August and the start of November.

For Georgians, they’re not just good hunting. They are also a major road hazard. The Centers for Disease Control did an in-depth study on how many people were injured as a result of car accidents that involved animals. About half of the injuries were related to striking the animal engaging in an accident, and the other half were injured when swerving to avoid the animal resulting in a single-vehicle collision.

Nine out of ten of these accidents involve deer; however, the small remaining portion contributes to the presence of squirrels, bears, dogs, raccoons, and cows. The CDC estimates that about 200 people die each year as a result of animal-related car accidents.

Don’t Get Scared

Often the best approach to dealing with animals on the road is to not be alarmed and do not swerve. When he served to avoid a wild animal, you have a greater risk of hitting a nearby tree, guardrail, or leaving the roadway, which can be extremely dangerous. It is often best to continue your force and take the risk of hitting the animal.

Striking the animal does not mean that you’re avoiding the possibility of injury. Deer, especially, are large animals and may cause extensive damage to your vehicle if not injuries as well. Driving experts recommend a stranger course but removing your foot from the brake just before striking the animal to reduce the force of the impact.

When it comes to smaller animals, including opossums, squirrels, and larger rodents, don’t underestimate their ability to get out of the way. Even when these animals seem exceptionally slow, like opossums, they can get going pretty quickly.

What to Do After Hitting Game on the Road?

After you hit any type of mid to large-sized game, you may need to stop and assess the damage to your vehicle and your possible injuries. But you may also need to call local authorities for proper removal of the animal.

Cleaning up roadkill isn’t always the top priority, but it is a major concern when the animal is large and poses an immediate danger to other drivers. Often you won’t have to play any part in this process past initially calling 911 for help with your crash. During the emergency call, you can alert them to your need for medical assistance, police help with reporting, and removal of the carcass.

Can You Get Compensation for a Crash an Animal Caused?

Finding help after an animal caused the accident can be a challenge. Most of the time, insurance providers will write this off with the only involved driver being at fault in which often means that there is no compensation available. You may have the opportunity to pursue compensation through collision coverage. However, many people don’t carry this coverage addition Because it’s not required by the state.

If you are involved in a multi-vehicle crash that an animal caused, you might be able to pursue compensation from the driver who initially struck the animal or swerved. It is common that one accident involving an animal will lead to a chain reaction of accidents behind them. Contact the Georgia car accident attorneys at John B Jackson to learn more about your options for crash resolution.