Virginia (VA) Car Accident Lawyers Offices in VA Beach, Hampton & Elizabeth City, NC
A car hitting a deer occurs every 26 seconds in the United States. Between 2007 and 2009, there were 2.4 million deer-related car accidents, which breaks down to roughly 100,000 per month, according to nortescambia.com. In many states, hitting a deer is extremely high. For example, in West Virginia (WV), you have a 1 in 39 chance of having your car smashed by a deer.
To make matters worse, data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows deer-car collisions cause an average of 150 deaths ever year, but we’ve seen a spike with 210 lives lost in 2008 from these accidents.
If these statistics don’t scare you, the cost associated with hitting a deer is outright terrifying. The average claim for a deer-related accident was nearly $2,743, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute. That amount jumps to nearly $10,000 if you’ve suffered a serious injury from the wreck. So, if you have average car insurance coverage, or are an underinsured driver, a deer-car wreck can leave a serious dent in your pocket book.
Here's a video of someone at a car repair shop who is shocked by the amount of damage sustained from a deer-car accident...
I wrote an article about deer-related accidents last year and want to reiterate the fact that only a comprehensive insurance policy covers deer-related accidents. This is crucial since 36 million Americans don’t have comprehensive insurance plans, according to USA Today. It would be a wise to make the investment in comprehensive insurance since, if your policy doesn’t cover an accident of this nature, you’ll probably be forced to pay for the repairs to your vehicle out of pocket.
But before you even file a claim, it’s important to understand what you should do after you’ve been involved in a deer-car crash. Here’s some important information to keep in mind…
If you are sure the deer is dead as a result of the accident, you can remove it from the roadway. This would be helpful to prevent further car wrecks from people trying to swerve to miss the dear. However, I wouldn’t recommend doing this unless you were absolutely sure the animal has passed away. There have been instances of people trying to move a deer from the road and the animal suddenly regains consciousness and attacks the individual leading to serious injury. The best course of action is to call the police. They will be able to call the proper authorities to get the deer removed. Once they get to the scene, you’ll need to fill out an accident report for insurance purposes.
Be sure to obtain a copy of the accident report as soon as possible so you have it for your records. You then need to sit down and thoroughly examine your insurance policy to see what is covered and what isn’t. You may actually be surprised by the amount of coverage/compensation you can receive in these types of accidents. For example, some insurance policies offer “gap coverage.” This comes into play if your car is totaled due to an accident. This coverage allows you to discontinue making payments on the balance owed on the car. Gap coverage pays the difference between the amount the insurer pays for the totaled car and the amount the insured owes on their lease or loan, according to the Better Business Bureau. Without this coverage, you would be on the hook for the remainder of your cars lease/loan, even if the car is unusable.
If you’ve been seriously injured, your car is ruined by the wreck, and your insurance company is denying your claim, it would be wise to speak to an attorney. We can help break down your policy and see if you have a legitimate claim and should consider legal action.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia (VA) injury law firm whose attorneys focus exclusively on personal injury and accident law. We have a proven track record in the court room, and you can review our case results to see for yourself. Our attorneys have deep roots in Virginia and handle cases throughout the commonwealth including Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton and Suffolk, VA. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in VA if you've been seriously hurt by another person's carelessness. Virginia injury lawyers Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been recognized as among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Shapiro and Lewis have also been selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. Rick and Jim have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010, making them among the 5 percent of lawyers so honored. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Our Virginia Beach accident injury firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill. We alsooffer free special reports and edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard blog sites as a public information service. While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer free initial confidential consultations, so call us toll free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to the high call volume, please leave a voicemaul and we will get back to you shortly.
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