What should I do immediately after hitting a deer?

Safely pull your vehicle to the side of the road, turn on your hazard lights, and check for any injuries before calling 911.

Immediate Safety Steps

• Pull over: Move your car to the shoulder or a safe spot off the active roadway and turn on your hazard lights.
• Check for injuries: Make sure you and any passengers are okay. Call emergency services if anyone is hurt.
• Stay in the car: If you are on a busy road or visibility is low, remain inside your vehicle until it is safe to step out.
• Do not touch the deer: Never approach or try to move the animal. A wounded or frightened deer can lash out with sharp hooves or antlers and cause serious injury.

Reporting and Documenting

• Call the police: Dial 911 to report the crash, especially if the deer is blocking traffic or state law requires reporting property damage. A police report also helps with insurance claims.
• Take photos: If it is safe, take pictures of your car's damage, the surrounding area, and any fur or blood left on the vehicle if the deer ran away.

Inspecting Your Car and Insurance

• Check drivability: Do not assume your car is safe to drive. Look for fluid leaks, broken lights, dangling parts, or a hood that won't latch properly. Call a tow truck if anything seems unsafe.
• Contact your insurer: Report the damage to your auto insurance company. Animal collisions are typically covered under comprehensive coverage rather than standard collision coverage.

Yes, a deer can survive being hit by a car or injured, but long-term survival depends entirely on the severity and location of the impact.

Survival Rates and Outcomes

• Fatal Impacts (40–60%): Many deer die instantly at the scene from severe head, neck, or chest trauma.
• Delayed Death (20–40%): Some deer run or walk away into the brush after a collision, appearing fine at first, but succumb to internal bleeding, organ damage, or shock within minutes, hours, or days.
• Minor Injuries (10–30%): If the vehicle only clips a limb, delivers a glancing blow, or causes minor flesh wounds, the deer can fully recover. As noted by outdoor writers, animals hit in non-vital areas like a lower leg or high muscle tissue often heal successfully.

Safety and Handling

• Do Not Approach: Never approach an injured deer. A wounded animal is extremely dangerous and can lash out with powerful hooves, causing serious injuries.
• Play It Safe: State authorities recommend staying away from the animal and calling local animal control, wildlife officials, or the police if the deer is blocking traffic.

No, hitting a live deer is generally not your fault because wild animals are unpredictable and the collision is considered unavoidable.

How Insurance Handles It

• Direct Hit: If you hit a live deer directly, insurance companies usually classify it as a not-at-fault comprehensive claim. It is covered if you have comprehensive insurance on your policy, minus your deductible.
• Rate Increases: Because you are not at fault, a direct deer strike typically does not cause your insurance rates to go up, though rules vary slightly by state and insurer.
• Swerving: If you swerve to avoid a deer and hit another car, a tree, or a guardrail, you may be considered at fault for the resulting crash. Insurance often treats a swerving accident as a standard at-fault collision claim.
• Dead Animals: Hitting an already dead deer in the road can sometimes be classified as an at-fault collision because the animal is treated as a stationary object you had a duty to avoid.

What You Should Do

• Pull over safely and turn on your hazard lights.
• Stay away from the deer if it is still alive.
• Call the police or local authorities to report the accident, as many states require an official report. You can review Progressive for more details on filing a claim, or check guidance provided by State Farm.

Yes, hitting a deer can be very traumatic and cause lasting emotional distress.

Why It Is Traumatic

• Sudden shock: The crash happens in a split second on dark roads, leaving no time to react.
• Loud impact: The loud bang, shattering glass, and deployed airbags terrify the driver.
• Guilt and sadness: Many people feel deep distress or guilt over hurting or killing an animal.
• Physical danger: Serious crashes cause injuries, car damage, or fear of a secondary accident on a busy highway.

Common Post-Accident Feelings

• Anxiety: You might feel nervous or scared when driving again, especially at night or in wooded areas.
• Flashbacks: Replaying the sudden image of the deer jumping into your path.
• Crying or shock: Feeling overwhelmed, shaky, or unable to calm down for hours or days after the event.

How to Cope

• Talk to someone: Share your feelings with a trusted friend, family member, or a therapist.
• Play a puzzle game: Research suggests playing a visual game like Tetris shortly after a traumatic event helps reduce flashbacks.
• Remove triggers: Have someone else clean or look at the car if the damage brings back bad memories.

You generally need to call the police if the collision causes injuries, blocks traffic, or results in heavy vehicle damage.

When You Must Call the Police

• Someone is hurt: Call 911 immediately if you or a passenger has any injuries.
• Traffic is blocked: If the deer or your disabled car blocks an active lane, authorities must clear the road to prevent another crash.
• State laws require it: Some states mandate reporting any accident that causes property damage above a certain dollar threshold.

Why Calling Is Still a Good Idea

• Insurance proof: A police report acts as official proof that you hit an animal rather than another car or fixed object. This helps secure your comprehensive coverage claim.
• Animal safety: If the deer is suffering or still alive in the roadway, officers can contact animal control or handle the situation safely. Do not approach the animal yourself.