What to do with an injured or dead wild animal?
Your vehicle has just hitting a wild boar, deer or doe ? Here are the steps to take and the safety instructions to follow in the event of an accident with a wild animal (or res nullius, that is to say without a master).
Start by checking if the animal is still alive or has succumbed to its injuries during the collision with your vehicle :
- if the wild boar or deer is hurtmove away from the vehicle to notify the police in order to avoid a potential attack;
- in the event that the animal struck is deadsecure the area with your warning triangle and put on your yellow vest.
Then call the gendarmerie or the police to draw up a report or record your statement. The authorities will give you a declaration to send to your insurance company.
Don't forget to collect evidence of the accidentespecially if the animal has fled: photos, videos, tufts of hair, etc.
Good to know
If the collision caused the death of the animal, you may be tempted to take it away. The law says that a small animal, such as a rabbit, fox or duck, must be left behind. On the other hand, for a unprotected species weighing more than 40 kg (wild boar, deer, deer, etc.), you can take it away provided that you notify the police so as not to be accused of poaching.
If your vehicle is unroadworthy, contact your insurer using the helpline number registered on your green card in order to benefit from any guarantees provided for in your contract. In fact, there is no need to engage troubleshooting, towing or repair costs if you have subscribed to an assistance guarantee in your commitment.
How to report a car accident with a wild animal to insurance?
As a reminder, a claim must be declared to your insurance company.
According to article L113-2 of the Insurance Code, “the insured is obliged to give notice to the insurer (…) of any loss likely to give rise to the insurer’s guarantee.”
In case of collision with a deera wild boar or any other animal without a master or guardian, you should make your claim declaration by registered letter (or any other means provided for in the contract) within the 5 days following the disaster.
Subsequently, your insurer will carry out an assessment to verify that the damage was indeed caused by a wild animal and that it is not a insurance fraud.
Good to know
In case of'accident with game pursued by hunters, their liability may be engaged. It is therefore appropriate to file a complaint against the hunting association or society of which they are a member.
What compensation after a car accident with a wild boar or wild animal?
There treatment of an accident with a wild animal by car insurance depends on the type of damage suffered as well as the conditions of your insurance contract
Compensation for material damage to the vehicle
Following a collision with a deer, a wild boar or another animal, car insurance only compensates you if you are covered under the all-accident damage guarantee, included in the all-risk contracts. The insurer then covers the material damage to your vehicle after your claim, retaining any excess.
On the other hand, you are not entitled to any compensation from the insurance if you have only taken out one third party contract.
Compensation for bodily injury
After a car accident with a wild boar or a deer, you can benefit from compensation if you have taken out the driver's guarantee.
In the event that insurance compensation is not complete, you can obtain a complement from the FGAO (Compulsory Damage Insurance Guarantee Fund). In this case, you must complete a form and submit your file to the FGAO within 3 years following the accident.
If you have not taken out the driver's guarantee, you will not be compensated by the car insurance. You must then submit a file to the FGAO to obtain support.
Finally, if the driver of the vehicle died in the collision with the animal, you can also request additional assistance by submitting your file to the FGAO accompanied by the necessary supporting documents.
Passenger injuries
If the passengers of the vehicle are injured in the accident, their bodily injuries will automatically be covered by the car insurance under the civil liability guarantee. You must then declare it to the insurer.
What deductible in the event of an accident with a wild animal?
With third-party insurance, the FGAO compensates you but applies a deductible of 500€.
With comprehensive insurance, your insurance compensates you and deducts the deductible provided for in your car contract. Your insurance can then call on the FGAO to reimburse you for this deductible.
However, this approach is only of interest if your deductible is greater than €500. In fact, the organization does not intervene below this amount.
Accident with a wild animal: who is responsible?
After having declared your claim to your insurer, the latter appoints an expert to verify whether it is indeed a accident with an animal without identified owner. If the report confirms the facts put forward in your declaration, then your liability is entirely released because it is a case of force majeure. The insurer will not apply a penalty either.
The facts would be different if the animal struck belonged to a third party. Indeed, the owner or guardian of the animal is considered responsible for the damage caused because it got lost or escaped while in his care. In the case of an accident with a domestic animal, material damage would be reimbursed by the animal owner's insurance.
In the event of a collision with a deer, wild boar or doe, what is the consequence on the bonus penalty?
The expert report from your car insurance must confirm whether you are yes or no responsible for the accident with a wild animal.
If the collision is purely accidental, then no penalty is applied and your reduction-increase coefficient does not change. We speak of a case of force majeure to the extent that the shock takes on an unpredictable and inevitable aspect.
The same applies if the accident is the result of negligence in the event of an accident with a domestic animal.
However, in the event of a collision with an animal in a area marked with wild animal crossing signsthen your insurer may consider that this is not a case of force majeure and apply a penalty to your insurance premium.
