Claim Advice 101: Deer Hit by Car

A “deer hit by car” accident is a common accident that everyone hopes they won’t be in.

The aftermath of a deer hit by car incident.

“Deer hit by car” sounds like something the head of a gangster family would order on a deer that’s been helping himself a little too much to the Don’s garden. I can imagine the conversation going a little like this:

“The boss ordered a hit on the deer that’s been stealing out of his garden”

“How does he want us to rub him out?”

“By car.”

All kidding aside, a “deer hit by car” accident can be a serious accident. It also happens more frequently than people realize, especially in November which is the deer mating season. These accidents where you find a deer hit by car on the side of the road, is also the result of our habitat taking over where the deer live, leaving them no other place to go.

What to Do After a Deer Hit by Car Incident

The first thing that you need to do after you have hit a deer is to pull over to the side of the road. Deer are much more solid objects than people realize and they can do substantial damage to a vehicle. Your vehicle might be to the point that it should no longer be driven and continuing to drive it will just make the damage worse.

Once you have pulled safely to the side of the road, check for injuries in your vehicle first, and then check the damage done to your vehicle. Open the hood of your vehicle and check for any internal damages and to see if there is anything leaking that shouldn’t be.

Now call the police. Under no circumstances are you to touch the deer, move it to the side of the road or take it home with you. If you touch the deer or try to move it, you may be seriously injured by it, if it is still alive. The authorities see deer hit by cars all the time and they will be able to properly take care of it.

You cannot and should not take it home like you would if you got it hunting. If you don’t have a license this is illegal poaching.

Filing a Deer Hit by Car Claim

Once everything is taken care of at the scene of the accident call your insurance company as soon as you can. They can tell you what coverage you have available and what needs to happen now.

You will want to know what your comprehensive deductible is as this is the coverage that a deer hit by car claim is covered under. If you have no comprehensive coverage your insurance company will not pay for the damages to your vehicle.

You may not see any increase in your premium due to this type of accident, but it depends on the insurance company. They may count against you the fact that they had to pay for the claim, if you have the coverage for it. As far as other insurance companies are concerned though, a claim categorized as a “deer hit by car” is a not at fault accident.