Car accident while saving a deer

My wife was driving the car about 50 miles away from our town. It was
about 1:00 A.M at night. While going through one of the expressway's a
deer came in front of the car all of a sudden and she hit the side
railing while saving the deer. There was almost no traffic around and
we were not carrying the cell phone (could not call 911). Luckily there
was no injury and at night it seemed to be just minor scratches on the
right side of the car. Today morning when i went to see the car in the
parking, it seemed more than what we had thought last night. Almost
front bumper, and both doors are badly scratched and front fender is
dented. It is a new car.

Any idea what would be our best bet? I talked to a friend of mine and
he told me that we are at fault as i did not call cops there and
secondly we would be fined as he hit the side railing which is Govt
property (though there was no damage). And also he mentioned that our
insurance premium will shoot up and it will on my wife's record for 3
years...

We had Allstate insurance, full coverage and both of us have 100% clean
record since we got our licencees (more than 6 yrs)...

aspadda wrote:
> My wife was driving the car about 50 miles away from our town. It was
> about 1:00 A.M at night. While going through one of the expressway's
a
> deer came in front of the car all of a sudden and she hit the side
> railing while saving the deer. There was almost no traffic around and
> we were not carrying the cell phone (could not call 911). Luckily
there
> was no injury and at night it seemed to be just minor scratches on
the
> right side of the car. Today morning when i went to see the car in
the
> parking, it seemed more than what we had thought last night. Almost
> front bumper, and both doors are badly scratched and front fender is
> dented. It is a new car.
>
> Any idea what would be our best bet? I talked to a friend of mine and
> he told me that we are at fault as i did not call cops there and
> secondly we would be fined as he hit the side railing which is Govt
> property (though there was no damage). And also he mentioned that our
> insurance premium will shoot up and it will on my wife's record for 3
> years...
>
> We had Allstate insurance, full coverage and both of us have 100%
clean
> record since we got our licencees (more than 6 yrs)...

aspadda wrote:
> My wife was driving the car about 50 miles away from our town. It was
> about 1:00 A.M at night. While going through one of the expressway's
a
> deer came in front of the car all of a sudden and she hit the side
> railing while saving the deer. There was almost no traffic around and
> we were not carrying the cell phone (could not call 911). Luckily
there
> was no injury and at night it seemed to be just minor scratches on
the
> right side of the car. Today morning when i went to see the car in
the
> parking, it seemed more than what we had thought last night. Almost
> front bumper, and both doors are badly scratched and front fender is
> dented. It is a new car.
>
> Any idea what would be our best bet? I talked to a friend of mine and
> he told me that we are at fault as i did not call cops there and
> secondly we would be fined as he hit the side railing which is Govt
> property (though there was no damage). And also he mentioned that our
> insurance premium will shoot up and it will on my wife's record for 3
> years...
>
> We had Allstate insurance, full coverage and both of us have 100%
clean
> record since we got our licencees (more than 6 yrs)...

I wouldn't tell the cops or the insurance. Sounds like something you
can patch up yourself in an afternoon or a body shop could fix for
$300. Of course if it was my beater, i just wouldn't do anything as
long as it ran ok.

<plonk>

aspadda wrote:
> My wife was driving the car about 50 miles away from our town. It was
> about 1:00 A.M at night. While going through one of the expressway's a
> deer came in front of the car all of a sudden and she hit the side
> railing while saving the deer. There was almost no traffic around and
> we were not carrying the cell phone (could not call 911). Luckily there
> was no injury and at night it seemed to be just minor scratches on the
> right side of the car. Today morning when i went to see the car in the
> parking, it seemed more than what we had thought last night. Almost
> front bumper, and both doors are badly scratched and front fender is
> dented. It is a new car.
>
> Any idea what would be our best bet? I talked to a friend of mine and
> he told me that we are at fault as i did not call cops there and
> secondly we would be fined as he hit the side railing which is Govt
> property (though there was no damage). And also he mentioned that our
> insurance premium will shoot up and it will on my wife's record for 3
> years...
>
> We had Allstate insurance, full coverage and both of us have 100% clean
> record since we got our licencees (more than 6 yrs)...

If you don't mind insurance fraud, just say the car was parked at a
local mall or whatever when the damage occurred. In the future though,
tell your wife to not swerve to avoid a deer because next time she might
not be so lucky to only hit a railing.

>
Ulf

--
ulf.cc

On 27 Mar 2005 12:48:07 -0800, "aspadda" > wrote:

>My wife was driving the car about 50 miles away from our town. It was
>about 1:00 A.M at night. While going through one of the expressway's a
>deer came in front of the car all of a sudden and she hit the side
>railing while saving the deer. There was almost no traffic around and
>we were not carrying the cell phone (could not call 911). Luckily there
>was no injury and at night it seemed to be just minor scratches on the
>right side of the car. Today morning when i went to see the car in the
>parking, it seemed more than what we had thought last night. Almost
>front bumper, and both doors are badly scratched and front fender is
>dented. It is a new car.
>
>Any idea what would be our best bet? I talked to a friend of mine and
>he told me that we are at fault as i did not call cops there and
>secondly we would be fined as he hit the side railing which is Govt
>property (though there was no damage). And also he mentioned that our
>insurance premium will shoot up and it will on my wife's record for 3
>years...
>
>We had Allstate insurance, full coverage and both of us have 100% clean
>record since we got our licencees (more than 6 yrs)...

Don't tell the cops, do call the insurance company. Allstate treats deer as
comprehensive, like weather damage, etc. You'll stand the deductable.
Virtually nothing that show to the naked eye can be fixed for $300, so _if_ you
want it put back together, call Allstate and get it looking nice again. New
cars are way too expensive to let this force a purchase, and its not nice to be
driving something that's all beat up.

Dave Head

aspadda wrote:

> My wife was driving the car about 50 miles away from our town. It was
> about 1:00 A.M at night. While going through one of the expressway's a
> deer came in front of the car all of a sudden and she hit the side
> railing while saving the deer. There was almost no traffic around and
> we were not carrying the cell phone (could not call 911). Luckily there
> was no injury and at night it seemed to be just minor scratches on the
> right side of the car. Today morning when i went to see the car in the
> parking, it seemed more than what we had thought last night. Almost
> front bumper, and both doors are badly scratched and front fender is
> dented. It is a new car.
>
> Any idea what would be our best bet? I talked to a friend of mine and
> he told me that we are at fault as i did not call cops there and
> secondly we would be fined as he hit the side railing which is Govt
> property (though there was no damage). And also he mentioned that our
> insurance premium will shoot up and it will on my wife's record for 3
> years...
>
> We had Allstate insurance, full coverage and both of us have 100% clean
> record since we got our licencees (more than 6 yrs)...
>
Depends on what state your in too. For example, in NJ, one of the 6 or
so reasons that your insurance can NOT increase your rates is a
collision with an animal. There are other reasons like being parked,
being on a fire or ambulance call, the other driver getting a ticket and
you not, etc.

If your in this category then they can not increase your rates for this.

GK

aspadda wrote:

> We had Allstate insurance, full coverage and both of us have 100% clean
> record since we got our licencees (more than 6 yrs)...

1. Hopefully this time your insurance company will cover the damage.

2. Have a good talk to your wife about the dangers of swerving for an
animal. Imagine if that side railing had been a parked car, or an
overpass pylon. Swerving for an animal is not worth the risk. In the
future she should simply brake hard if an animal jumps in front. If you
don't have a vehicle fitted with ABS brakes, find an opportunity for you
and your wife to learn the optimal braking pressure for your vehicle so
as not to lock up the brakes.

She was lucky this time, however if she had swerved for an animal on a
two way rural highway and/or in heavier traffic she could have collected
another vehicle, lost control and hit a tree, or hit some other roadside
furniture such as large pole. The damage to your car would be far
greater than that of hitting a deer, and the increased possibility of
the loss of a human life would be far more traumatic and devastating for
all involved.

On 27 Mar 2005 12:48:07 -0800, "aspadda" > wrote:

>My wife was driving the car about 50 miles away from our town. It was
>about 1:00 A.M at night.

That would be morning.

>While going through one of the expressway's a
>deer came in front of the car all of a sudden and she hit the side
>railing while saving the deer. There was almost no traffic around and

Idiot bitch.

>we were not carrying the cell phone (could not call 911). Luckily there
>was no injury and at night it seemed to be just minor scratches on the
>right side of the car. Today morning when i went to see the car in the
>parking, it seemed more than what we had thought last night. Almost
>front bumper, and both doors are badly scratched and front fender is
>dented. It is a new car.

Next time learn how to drive.

>Any idea what would be our best bet?

Give up your drivers license and start walking.

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 02:42:56 GMT, Sir Lex > wrote:

>aspadda wrote:
>
>> We had Allstate insurance, full coverage and both of us have 100% clean
>> record since we got our licencees (more than 6 yrs)...
>
>1. Hopefully this time your insurance company will cover the damage.
>
>2. Have a good talk to your wife about the dangers of swerving for an
>animal.

Ummm... U don't swerve for chipmunks, but deer are a different animal, so to
speak. A 200 lbs deer is worth swerving for, 'cuz if you hit it you're prolly
gonna lose control anyway, plus it can come thru the windshield and crush you.


>Imagine if that side railing had been a parked car, or an
>overpass pylon. Swerving for an animal is not worth the risk. In the
>future she should simply brake hard if an animal jumps in front. If you
>don't have a vehicle fitted with ABS brakes, find an opportunity for you
>and your wife to learn the optimal braking pressure for your vehicle so
>as not to lock up the brakes.

1) Brake hard

2) turn off the headlights at the same time

3) Also blow the horn repeatedly at the same time.

Turning off the headlights "unpins" the deer - the light is what's causing them
to stand there with their faces hanging out, mesmerized. Blowing the horn
rapidly and repeatedly scares the snot out of 'em, and they just _might_ run
out of your way.

>She was lucky this time, however if she had swerved for an animal on a
>two way rural highway and/or in heavier traffic she could have collected
>another vehicle, lost control and hit a tree, or hit some other roadside
>furniture such as large pole.

This happens anyway after the contact with the large animal that often crushes
the steering apparatus, blows up the damn airbag and maybe breaks your arm
and/or knocks the hell out of your face, and you lose control anyway.

>The damage to your car would be far
>greater than that of hitting a deer,

But not hitting the deer and _then_ crashing...

Dave Head

>and the increased possibility of
>the loss of a human life would be far more traumatic and devastating for
>all involved.

In article >,
Sir Lex > wrote:
>aspadda wrote:
>
>> We had Allstate insurance, full coverage and both of us have 100% clean
>> record since we got our licencees (more than 6 yrs)...
>
>1. Hopefully this time your insurance company will cover the damage.
>
>2. Have a good talk to your wife about the dangers of swerving for an
>animal. Imagine if that side railing had been a parked car, or an
>overpass pylon.

Now imagine if the deer was a child and the railing was a rutabaga.

--
John Carr )