Many livestock owners and keepers know the pains of losing an animal when one breaks free of its enclosure. Sometimes they’ll break a fence themselves, or a break will be caused by aging or weather. In any case, it remains the responsibility of the livestock keeper to fix the break in the enclosure and ensure that the animal is not endangering anyone’s well-being.
Unfortunately, livestock collisions in rural areas can be somewhat common. And they can be quite dangerous, too. It is worth noting in this regard that a single cow can weigh roughly half, sometimes more, than the weight of a sedan. Considering this fact, it’s not hard to understand why a livestock collision could cause significant damage to a vehicle. In cases like these, it’s wise to seek the assistance of a car accident attorney.
A car accident attorney will know what constitutes liability on the part of the livestock keeper as well as how to properly investigate the issue to determine that liability. It’s important to note that these laws can vary somewhat from state to state.
Read on as a car accident attorney from Tolbert Beadle, LLC discusses some of the details of typical livestock collision case.
Determining Liability
Here, it is important to recognize that the livestock keeper and the livestock owner are not necessarily the same person. Especially with horses, livestock are sometimes owned by one person but kept or boarded at a location where someone can tend to them regularly. Liability typically falls on the keeper, not the owner.
Determining liability in these cases is not always as simple as identifying the keeper. It is recognized that animals can escape or break enclosures on their own. The primary issue in determining liability is whether or not the keeper had awareness of faults in the fencing and was not attending to them. This can be difficult to prove.
A good car accident attorney will be sure to have both the site of the collision and the site of the damaged fence investigated. They will take photos of both areas as well, to document the scenes.
Another important consideration is the time of day when the collision occurred. A good car accident attorney knows that it’s much more difficult to see livestock on the road at night. In the daytime, however, it can be harder to place full liability on the livestock keeper. A car accident attorney will want to find out if you were at all distracted while you were driving.
Get Help from a Car Accident Attorney
There is never a time when it’s appropriate for livestock to be obstructing the highway. More often than not, their being on the highway suggests some kind of negligence, although it’s not always simple to prove.
With the help of a car accident attorney, you’ll be able to build a stronger case and receive compensation for your injuries and damages to your vehicle. Call or contact a car accident attorney at Tolbert Beadle, LLC if you need help with your auto accident case.
