You never plan to hit a deer while driving, or for a deer to hit you, but deer accidents do happen. In fact, according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 1 million deer accidents take place in the US on an annual basis.
This is something that every driver should be aware of and, in densely deer populated states, appropriately covered for. But, “does insurance cover deer accidents?” Our collision center pros put together the following blog post to help answer that question for you.
Scenario A: You Hit a Deer
Hitting a deer with your car is filed under the comprehensive part of your insurance policy, a coverage type that accounts for damage to your car that’s caused by events other than a collision. Even though the accident was caused by the deer, you will still be responsible for paying your comprehensive deductible amount.
Scenario B: Avoiding a Deer Caused You to Crash
Another possible scenario involves seeing a deer crossing the road and making a sudden, sharp turn in order to avoid a collision with the animal. But, if this situation causes you to crash into a guardrail or another car instead without hitting the deer, your deer accident would be considered a claim for your collision coverage.
Deer Accidents & Police Reports
When you hit a deer, or are in an accident caused by a deer, you may be wondering if it’s still necessary to file a police report. With Scenario B, you should handle your post-accident steps as you would in any other car accident.
However, for Scenario A, you may not be sure if calling the police is necessary. Still call — having a police report can only help validate your claim later. Without any proof that the crash was deer related, your insurance provider may not have sufficient evidence to push the claim through comprehensive and wind up having to file it under collision instead.
Insurance Covers Deer Accidents
That is, if you’re properly insured! To learn more about evaluating your coverage options and which plans best suit your needs, check out our guide to collision vs. comprehensive insurance.
If you’re already dealing with the aftermath of a deer run-in and need work done on your vehicle, you can count on Collision 24’s expert collision repair technicians to perform any post-accident repairs. Our team works with most major insurance companies, so you can rest easy, knowing that we’ll get the work done to the maximum that your policy allows.
Avoid a Deer Accident:
- Drive with your lights on. Deer are most active at dawn and dusk. Always keep your vehicle’s visibility high by driving with headlights or high beams on at night and daytime running lights on during the day.
- Don’t speed. By abiding by the speed limit, you give yourself more time to react should you see a deer begin to cross the road.
- Where there’s one deer, there’s more. If you see one deer cross the road, don’t assume you’re good to keep moving. Slow down and wait a moment or two. 9 times out of 10, you’re likely to see more deer to follow. When you start driving again, do so with caution.
Stay safe out there, Brockton, Randolph, and Stoughton! And keep your friends at Collision 24 on speed dial for expert body work, paint matching, detailing, and more.