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Ok so

coming towards the end of a motorway near here (the M66) but still doing 70, windows down, music on - crusing home after work.

A deer ran out the trees and before I could do anything - I hit it.

I couldnt see what happened to it, but I hit it pretty hard.

I came off the motorway and pulled into a car park to inspect my car, run around and shout and try and think what to do next.

I now begin to feel sorry for the deer

So I phoned the police and reported the accident.

I was told to wait for an officer to arrive.

So I inspects the damage.

Hit it front drivers side. Bumper hanging off-its cracked and slightly the wrong shape. Headlight and indicator smashed up. The plastic grill surround, smashed up. I think the front drivers wing is a bit bent in also, it appears to have a bumper mount still on it. A lil thing that looks like a tow mount cover has also blown off. There are hairs from it all over the bumper.

So I guess £60 for new headlamp, £16 for indicator - essentials to make the car road legal again.

And then no idea how much for a new bumper which I guess will need spraying in black to match my car (its a 16v) and er I think, hope, the wing can be bent back out.

So.

I bent the bumper back, sorta re-attached it. The crack is showing pretty nice... and drove home.

Composed myself from the gibbering idiotness I just was and phoned the cops again. Trying to find out who owns deer in the area - cos I figure someone must own the deer and should, I figure, be responsible for it and keeping it somewhere where it cant run out onto dual carridgeways. So I figure they are the ones who should pick up the cost of the damage to my car.

Sure I honestly feel awful for killing the deer.
There it was all Bambi like, bouncing with glee and abandon in its own innocent world until my dumb self happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and hit it.

But I dont really want to pick up the cost of repairing it or the cost to me in time (as I'll have to take time off work to get it sorted and I get paid by the hour).

Does anyone happen to know whether the deer farmer is liable to pay my costs?

Might be wrong but im sure they are wild animals - therefore no come back !!

i know in richmond/kingston - some park there they have them running around wild so i assume they are !

might be wrong tho

I'd have to agree with Weedle on this, you will probably have to go through your insurers if the damage is too costly for you to fix out of your own pocket! However... bringing into consideration the excess on the policy and the subsequent loss of NCB bonus after a claim perhaps it is best to bite the bullet and pay full whack without referring the matter through your insurers?

Gutted for you mate, sounds like you had quite an eventful evening! These things happen though, deers have no road sense remember plus look on the bright side - you're OK!

Chin up lad.

I echo what's said above really, we have deer on my work but no-one "owns" them, they are just wild muntjac deer.

Me and my dad saw one get hit once, so we stopped (it was on the other side of the road) and sat with it until it died (sad I know) then we carried it onto the verge and laid it down

Basically, I don't think you'll be getting any money from the deer so unfortunately you'll have to pay, which is a right bastard I know.

On the point of feeling bad about it, I know what you mean - I hit a rabbit at work last week and felt really bad afterwards, I swerved to miss it but didn't manage to, if they used their brains and thought hmmm if I run that way I'll get hit, but if I run that way I'll live we'd all be ok.

what happens with humans?

I mean, if you hit someone who messes up your car.....




no comeback I reckon, not even sure if you'd have comeback even if it was a dog or pet or anything?

If you hit a person, I'm not sure how it works in the UK, but over here in Brazil it's always the driver's fault and you're fully responsible for what happened ( even if you happened to hit a suicidal maniac, you're still the stronger party - sitting in a ton's worth of metal and plastic, etc.).

As for deer, they're wild animals AFAIK (not many in my region but they're pretty common in other parts of the country) so there won't be an owner to pay for your repairs... And even if there was, I'm pretty sure they'd claim the one deer that hit you ( or rather, got hit by you) was a wild one and therefore they're not responsible. In any case get a quote on the repairs before you get your insurance company envolved.

Good luck!

Weedle wrote:i know in richmond/kingston - some park there they have them running around wild so i assume they are !

Richmond Park m8 and I think they are protected within the park? Roaming free though

Yeah i knew it was richmond or kingston something !!

as for them being protected - i believe all deer are property of the queen ??

but this is for eating purposes only mind not anything to do with car crashes !!

Weedle wrote:as for them being protected - i believe all deer are property of the queen ??

Dude, does that mean he'll have to pay Her Majesty compensation for her dead deer?

didnt think deers were property of the queen?

THought it was only Swans....

swans is the queens domain



new headlight and indicator on

brushed the poor things fur off my bumper...




now need a new 16v bumper

eurocar parts do one for 49 quid - its not genuine - but it'll do

how much will it cost me to get it sprayed?

Going home last friday night a fox ran out in front of our taxi. We hit the fox, it got up but it back end was all busted up. Waited with it for 2 hour until RSPCA or emergincy vet came out, but it manage to hobble off , 10mins before the vet turned up.


Felt pissed off, that it got away but the fox didn't know we were trying to help it.
I suppose that just the natural instincts.

Unfortunatly, it's a wild animal, so it goes under the heading of "s**t happens".

Important thing is you're ok, they're bloody heavy things deer, so it could have been a lot worse.

oh deer

sorry

(IMITATES HOMER SIPSON) mmmmmmmm.........deeeerrrr.........





i'll get my coat shall i?