What To Do If You’ve Hit a Deer
You’re driving back home, you struck something, and now you’re searching: what to do if you hit a deer?
Did you know that over one million deer are hit by cars each year? This accounts for around 1.5 million car accidents.
These animals are a common sight across the continental United States, known for their antlers, leaping ability, and tendency to devour your flower garden.
But the deer is also, unfortunately, well-known as a cause of traffic accidents. In the urban environment of the DMV area, motorists may not even consider the possibility of colliding with a deer.
However, in winter months, when food is scarce, deer may range well outside their natural habitat to feed.
This is compounded by the winter months’ early sunsets and poor weather conditions, which can send visibility plummeting.
Whether you live on a farm or in a high rise apartment building it pays to keep an eye out for deer near the roads. Today we’ll be reviewing steps to take if you’ve hit a deer with your car.
Deer Accident Prevention
Before starting on our guide to what to do if you’ve hit a deer; a brief primer on avoiding these collisions in the first place seems appropriate.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, the peak hours for deer movement are between sunset and midnight and the hours before sunrise.
Drivers traveling at these times should exercise extra caution.
If driving on relatively empty roads, high beams can be useful in providing increased visibility. Know also that deer are generally social animals.
One deer generally signals the presence of more. Under no circumstances should drivers swerve wildly to avoid hitting a deer or any other animal.
This can cause far more severe wrecks than would have occurred if the driver had just hit the deer.
If You’ve Hit a Deer: Steps to Take
| Step | What to Do | Why It Matters |
| 1. Pull Over and Turn on Hazard Lights | Move your vehicle to the shoulder safely. If you can’t move it, turn on your high beams to warn other drivers. Stay inside until you assess the situation. | Helps prevent further accidents and keeps you safe from traffic. |
| 2. Check for Injuries | Check yourself and passengers for injuries caused by airbags, glass, or impact. Do not move anyone unless necessary. | Some injuries are not immediately visible but can be serious. |
| 3. Call 911 | Report the accident immediately. Police will document the crash and create an official report. | The police report is essential for your insurance claim and handling the animal safely. |
| 4. Do Not Approach the Deer | Keep your distance from the animal, even if it looks dead or still. | Injured animals can act unpredictably and cause further harm. |
| 5. Document the Scene | Take photos of vehicle damage, the deer, road conditions, and skid marks. Collect witness information if possible. | Strong documentation supports your insurance claim. |
| 6. Contact Your Insurance Company | Report the accident as soon as possible. Deer collisions are usually covered under comprehensive insurance. | Ensures your claim is processed quickly and avoids missing policy deadlines. |
If you’ve hit a deer, your first priority should be your own health and safety. Turn on your hazard lights and move your car out of traffic if at all possible.
If your car has been immobilized, engaging your high beams may provide extra warning to passing motorists. The last thing you want to do is cause another accident.
After seeing to your car, contacting emergency services should be your next priority. If you are injured, you can secure medical attention and transportation to a clinic or hospital if necessary.
Calling 9-1-1 will also bring the police to the scene of your accident. After their arrival, the police will also create an accident report, which will be vital in filing an insurance claim after the fact. Taking pictures of the scene of the accident will also be helpful in this regard.
In addition to the insurance benefits, the police will also be able to secure you a safe ride home in the event that your car is unsafe to drive.
They’ll also be able to aid in checking the car and determining the extent of the damage. If your headlights are intact and there’s no obvious leaks or structural damage, you may be able to drive home.
Of course, if your car is totaled or severely damaged, this makes starting the insurance claim process as soon as possible even more vital.
Your insurance company may be able to provide roadside assistance or have your vehicle towed.
What To Do If You Hit a Deer and It’s Still Alive
Knowing what to do when you hit a deer and it is still alive is one of the most ignored and dangerous situations drivers face after a crash.
A hurt deer is unpredictable. Even if it looks calm or cannot move, never think it is safe to get close. Here is exactly what to do:
- Stay in your vehicle.
Your first reaction might be to get out and check on the deer, but this is very dangerous.
A deer hit by a car may look still but can suddenly kick, struggle, or run away. Adult deer weigh between 150 and 500 pounds, and one kick from their back legs can cause serious injuries quickly.
Keep your doors closed and your seatbelt on until help comes.
- Turn on your hazard lights immediately.
If the deer is blocking traffic, whether in the middle of the road or on the side, other drivers might not see it in time, especially at night. Deer are most active between dusk and dawn, so visibility is already low when these crashes happen most.
Your hazard lights warn other drivers and lower the chance of another accident.
- Pull over safely and do not swerve.
If you have not stopped yet, carefully move to the side of the road. One of the main causes of serious crashes is when drivers try to avoid hitting a deer and lose control of their car instead.
Hitting a deer directly is usually less dangerous than hitting a guardrail, oncoming traffic, or rolling your car. Stay in your lane and brake firmly.
- Call 911 but this time also report the injured animal.
This is the most important step when you hit a deer and it is still alive. The dispatcher will send local authorities who know how to safely handle injured wildlife.
In Virginia, animal control and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR) can be reached through local police. In Maryland, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) takes care of injured deer reports.
Do not try to move, hold, or comfort the deer yourself, leave that to the experts.
- Do not attempt to put the deer out of its misery.
It may seem like the kind thing to do, but interfering with an injured wild animal or trying to harm it can lead to legal trouble, depending on your state.
Let the officers or wildlife experts decide what to do. Your job is to keep yourself, your passengers, and other drivers safe.
What Not To Do
Under no circumstances should you approach the deer after hitting it.
The animal may still be alive and able to thrash at you with its powerful legs.
Adult bucks regularly grow to between four-hundred and five-hundred pounds.
Deer may be herbivores, but these are powerful animals and can absolutely injury you further.
Another misstep to avoid is driving off after your accident without taking any of the above steps.
First and foremost this is inhumane to the deer and inconsiderate to other drivers, who may hit the same animal you did.
Furthermore, it can be a catastrophic blow to your efforts to file an insurance claim.
What Malloy Law Recommends
The prevalence of deer accidents makes it all the more necessary to prioritize high-quality car insurance as an essential purchase.
It’s the professional opinion of Malloy Law Offices that motorists should buy as much insurance as they feel they can afford. It may sound obvious but there’s no legal recourse against wild animals for damage done to your property.
In circumstances such as these you’ll have to fall back on your insurance provider to avoid paying the cost of car repairs and medical bills out of pocket.
So this is no place to cut corners. For more car accident advice, we invite you to check out our blog or YouTube channel.
In Summary
So, what to do when you hit a deer?
In short: Pull over safely, turn on your hazard lights, and call 911. Do not go near the deer, even if it looks hurt or alive.
The most important thing to remember is that your safety comes before the deer, the car, or the paperwork.
Once you are safe, following the steps above will keep you healthy and help you recover the costs from the accident.
If you or someone in your vehicle was injured in a deer collision you may be entitled to more than just an insurance payout. At Malloy Law, our team has helped accident victims across Virginia and Maryland.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
FAQs
1. What should I do when you hit a deer?
Stop your car immediately and turn on your hazard lights. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries, then call 911 to report the accident. Do not go near the deer. While waiting for the police, take pictures of your car, the deer’s location, and the road conditions. After the police arrive, call your insurance company to begin your claim.
2. What should I do if I hit a deer and it’s still alive?
Do not get out of your car to go near the animal. A deer that looks hurt or unable to move can still kick, struggle, or suddenly run into traffic, which could cause more accidents or serious injury to you. Call 911 and let trained officers and wildlife experts take care of the animal.
3. What if I swerved to avoid a deer and lost control of my car?
If you were hurt in an accident caused by swerving to avoid a deer, you might still be able to get compensation depending on the situation, road conditions, and if another vehicle was involved.
4. Will hitting a deer raise my insurance rates?
In most cases, no. Hitting a deer is handled as a comprehensive claim, not a collision claim, and these claims usually do not count as accidents you caused. This means your insurance rates probably will not go up. However, this depends on your specific policy and insurance company.
5. Can Malloy Law help me after a deer accident?
If you were hurt in a deer accident, whether from hitting the deer, a crash caused by swerving to avoid it, or a collision with another vehicle, Malloy Law can help you understand your legal choices. You cannot make a claim against a wild animal, but there might be other ways to get compensation depending on what happened. Contact us today for a free consultation.