There are possible legal differences between dogs and cats if a person is involved in an accident with either animal. If a motorist hits a dog, resulting in injuries or death to the animal, many states may require the driver to immediately notify the police and the dog’s owner. In this case, the driver may bear some responsibility for the loss, and may have to reimburse the dog owner for damages to his pet. These damages may be in the form of money damages, or the driver may be asked to reimburse the owner for veterinarian fees from any surgeries, treatments, medications or follow up visits the owner may incur on behalf of the dog.
The requirement to notify the owner in the case of hitting a cat may not apply in some states. If a motorist accidentally hits a cat, the driver may not have the same requirement to notify the police. Although it would be common courtesy to notify the cat’s owner of the accident, there may not be a formal requirement by law to do so. This may be because cats are considered feral. For this reason, there is a legal difference between what to do if a dog or a cat is involved in an automobile accident.
Many times a motorist accidentally hits a dog or cat and doesn’t know who the pet belongs to formally. If a dog or cat is wearing a tag or collar, or has an identification chip embedded under its skin or fur, the motorist can identify the rightful owner of the animal and give the owner a call.
If the accident happens on a busy street or highway, the motorist may not be able to stop safely and get out of his car for the purpose of identifying the animal. At that point, it may be appropriate to call the authorities to notify them of the accident and subsequent loss.
Dogs that are allowed outside of the home, are supposed to be either under the sight or voice control of the owner, should be restrained by an invisible or visible fence or should be on a leash or otherwise tethered to keep the dog on the owner’s property. If the dog is “off leash” and otherwise permitted to run free in the street, there will be a very high likelihood that the dog will be hit by someone driving in oncoming traffic.
When this happens, there will be many questions to who is at fault, and who will be meant to pay for any resulting damages. If you have questions regarding an accident with a dog or other domesticated animal, you need to call Ledger & Associates 1-800-300-0001 or email us at www.ledgerlaw.com.
