A pal of mine clouted a deer on his way to work this morning.
It was a low-speed impact on a baby, so the damage to his car does not appear extensive.
He will either pay for the repairs himself, or his garage will take the car as is, and he will buy a replacement from them.
The deer is dead and he called the police from the scene.
They took his details, but told him there was no need to wait around.
Is he obliged to inform his insurance company?
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>>Is he obliged to inform his insurance company?
I don't know the answer to that one, but if it was me I would advise my insurers, as I wouldn't be happy if they turned down a future claim.
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I you have to ask that question the answer is "yes"
Would I - No.
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>> Would I - No.
But it is an accident and the police have details. What if those details somehow reach your insurer?
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I would be confidant they they wouldn't. but as I say the right thing to do is to tell the Insurers. I just don't always do the right thing.
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>>I just don't always do the right thing.
Shame on you, boy...
:)
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What on earth did your friend call the police for?
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...What on earth did your friend call the police for?...
I left this out of the OP to keep it simple, but the deer appeared to be still breathing, so he wanted the poor thing put out of its misery, and even if it was already dead, he wanted to be sure the body was disposed of correctly.
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This might be the country boy in me speaking, but if it was a baby deer and obviously fatally injured, I'd have reversed over it again to put it out of its misery quick sharp.
I'd only report hitting loose livestock, wild animals are just one of those things I'm afraid.
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>> This might be the country boy in me speaking, but if it was a baby
>> deer and obviously fatally injured, I'd have reversed over it again to put it out
>> of its misery quick sharp.
Happened once - I ended up throwing rocks at its head until it stopped breathing.
No real damage to the car - lost one of those centre-spinners from the BMW alloy wheel - but had to put up with a frined making all kinds of jokes for the next 200kms. Including renditions of "Who killed Bambi?"
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>> The deer is dead and he called the police from the scene.
>>
>> the deer appeared to be still breathing, so he wanted the poor thing put out of its misery,
>> and even if it was already dead, he wanted to be sure the body was
>> disposed of correctly.
>>
In that case, he should have just phoned and said he was passing, and wanted to report the deer that he found lying on the road, and not give his personal details.
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I would hope the police are not involved but many databases are cross referenced these days, (photo driving licences and passports for example). Once information is "in the system" who knows where it will end up.
On second thoughts I would not trust the police not to cross reference.
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"On second thoughts I would not trust the police not to cross reference."
Let your paranoia be allayed by considering the general incompetence of insurance companies and the police and the fact that they both have better things to do with their time.
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But, but, but... there might just be that tiny chance that you bend your car and find you are unable to claim.
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Been meaning to ask this for a while and this seems as good a time as any.
When you have a no fault, or no claim accident, why does it put your insurance costs up?
A colleague had someone run into the back of him, other party accepted liability etc but his premium went up at renewal as a result of this. Why?
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Because he has a history of driving on roads used by people who don't look where they're going. Every minicab I owned got hit up the arris once, never happened to me before or since.
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>> When you have a no fault, or no claim accident, why does it put your
>> insurance costs up?
>>
Is it because they can or because you let them?
Seriously, it is because you are now considered a higher risk. (applies even when someone prangs your unoccupied parked car).
>> A colleague had someone run into the back of him, other party accepted liability etc
>> but his premium went up at renewal as a result of this. Why?
>>
It doesn't have to cost you a penny. It does cost only if you don't know how to avoid it:
The "higher premium" or "loading" cost is recoverable from the 3rd party.
See www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=5730&m=127527
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>> Let your paranoia be allayed by considering the general incompetence of insurance companies and the
>> police and the fact that they both have better things to do with their time.
>>
Oh thats a relief, insurance companies do not have the time to minimise their costs by investigating claims. :-)
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I wouldn't tell the insurer or the Police.
Even if I did tell the Police, I still wouldn't tell the insurer, they use any form of contact to hike the premiums, once you are 'locked-in'.
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>> A colleague had someone run into the back of him, other party accepted liability etc but his premium went up at renewal as a result of this. Why?
Just an excuse to raise premium.
No need to tell insurers. If they discover it anyhow, it will be flagged during your renewal time and then you'll pay a higher premium. If it doesn't flag up during renewal, they don't know it.
PS: After few months you may ask for to see what info they stored about your claims in Motor Insurance database.
Last edited by: movilogo on Tue 19 Jun 12 at 15:04
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The consequences of not telling them can in the worst scenario mean that you end up being uninsurable and hence your driving days are over.
If the insurers found out:
1) it is an incident
2) you did not report it
3) you did not declare it when you subsequently applied for insurance
4) they decline to offer or renew your insurance because you have lied on an application
5) you apply for another quote but fail to declare that you have been refused insurance
6) all other companies decline to quote, because you are now on the database as a liar and have already had insurance refused.
The sensible thing would have been not to report it to any one in the first place, kill it if you could, drive away.
Now the police know, the only absolutely safe option is to report it in writing to the company, saying you are reporting it only for information, no one else was involved, no damage was done, you are not claiming anything, you reported it to the police and they advised you to drive on.
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AFAIK, hitting a deer is not one the accidents that need to be notified to the old bill. As you don't need to tell the old bill, Si I wouldn't tell the them or the Insurance Company.
As far as being involved in a non fault accident and an increased premium, you have accident history so this affects your risk. Doesn't matter where blame lies.
I guess the Insurance Company would want to know if you drive on Deer Infested roads as well.
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I've just read HC rule 286:
286
If you are involved in a collision which causes damage or injury to any other person, vehicle, animal or property, you MUST
stop
give your own and the vehicle owner’s name and address, and the registration number of the vehicle, to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them
if you do not give your name and address at the time of the collision, report it to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours
[Law RTA 1988 sect 170]
There's a few thousand reports I owe the police for the entomology collection on my car!
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The rule is not fully explained. "animal" has a definition. Badger, fox, tree rat, etc etc are not "animal"
Edit under RTA section 170 “animal” means horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 19 Jun 12 at 17:05
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...Edit under RTA section 170 “animal” means horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog...
Some of the reasoning relates to whether the animal has a commercial value or not.
A dog is reportable because it could have some value to its owner's business, but a cat is not reportable because a cat is, well, just a cat.
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>> but a cat is not reportable because a cat is, well, just a cat.
Russian Blues or worth something. If full pedigree that is. We had one visiting us at temporary accommodation (Family) when we were in between houses.
www.pets4homes.co.uk/classifieds/47983-gccf-registred-russian-blue-kittens-salford.html
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...Russian Blues or worth something...
Yes, but they are not worth anything to the owner's business, unlike a dog, which could be worth a great deal to a farmer's business.
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Livestock are on this list, dogs are on the list as a legacy of the Dog License days.
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>> Russian Blues or worth something.
and Norwegian Blues stun easily.
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"he wanted to be sure the body was disposed of correctly"
An oven, gas mark 5?
My old Uncle Jack had a habit of "running over" pheasants and grouse on quiet moorland roads. Reckoned that if you went over them with the middle of the car the bumper/sump etc would knock them unconscious to the extent that you could stop, nip back to fluttering bird and wring its neck. He always seemed to have a few hanging in his outdoor larder - he liked his grouse and pheasant "gamey". Mind you, he also had a couple of 12 bores - maybe he only said he "ran them over" to cover up a bit of poaching.
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Yes some nice venison steaks there..... into the back of the car quickly and drive on!
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Doesn't happen often enough.
You should gralloch your deer there and then as otherwise the bacteria begin to breed inside the gut.
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...Edit under RTA section 170 “animal” means horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog.
CHAMPS DG if you are struggling to remember.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Tue 19 Jun 12 at 23:08
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"Oh thats a relief, insurance companies do not have the time to minimise their costs by investigating claims. :-)"
They actually investigate very little. If you have and accident and have told them you have no previous accident they will check the inter company claims database (CUE) to see if you have had a claim with another company. They certainly don't make enquiries with the police as to what wild animals you have killed and if they did the police wouldn't provide them with the information.
I guess most people have had accidents or incidents that technically they should have notified to their Insurers. - What about that minor parking ding you decided not to repair or that scratch to the rental car you had on holiday? What you should do and what most people do are two different things.
Most Insurers are pretty incompetent. I worked in the industry for 45 years and help implement that incompetence. :-)
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Was the local authority informed so that they could remove the dead animal?
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Fullchat, I much preferred PC SHAG MD. Befitting.
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:)) Not heard that one but can use it.
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He should have thrown the Deer in the boot and took it to a local butchers for some burgers made.
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Should the insurance company be told? - Clk Sec
