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Car Accidents Involving Cattle and Livestock
Motor Vehicle Crash Lawyers Serving the Memphis Area
Memphis drivers know to be on the lookout for other vehicles while driving on the city’s busy roadways. Memphians even know to watch out for the occasional wild animal such as a deer that might run out in front of their vehicles. However, most drivers are not expecting to top a hill or round a curve and see a cow standing in the middle of the roadway. If you have been injured in a car accident involving cattle or other livestock, call our office today for a free consultation with one of our Memphis car accident attorneys. We are the largest personal injury firm based in Tennessee, and we have more than 30 attorneys and 100 support staff available to assist you when you call.
Pursuing a Bodily Injury Claim After a Crash Involving Cattle or Livestock in Shelby County
Tennessee law requires that livestock be confined, and fences confining livestock should be made with sufficient materials. It is a misdemeanor if the owners of livestock willfully allow the livestock to run at large. Accordingly, if the owner knowingly lets the animal out onto the road and a car crashes into the animal, the owner may be held liable for the accident, any property damage done to the car, and any injuries the driver suffers.
What if the cattle or livestock escape their enclosures and cause an auto accident in Memphis? Then the accident victim must prove that the owner’s negligence led to the livestock being in the road and causing the crash and resulting injuries. To prove negligence, an injured party must show that the livestock owner owed him a duty of care, that the owner breached that duty of care in some way, that this breach caused injury, and that the victim’s injuries were caused by the breach.
Whether the owner of the livestock was negligent will usually be a factual determination and can vary from case to case. If the owner knew that his fencing was broken or otherwise insufficient, or if he left the gate open or unlocked, then he may be deemed to be negligent and responsible for any auto accidents caused by his livestock being in the road. If there were prior instances of the livestock escaping, then the owner is more likely to be held liable than if this was the first occurrence. If a car accident involving cattle or other livestock occurred because the owner did not promptly capture the animal after it escaped, then the accident victim may be able to prove negligence.
Discuss Your Car Wreck Claim with a Memphis Attorney
f you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident involving cattle or other livestock, it is important that you consult with a lawyer in the Memphis area who can investigate the circumstances of your case and obtain the factual evidence needed to prove the animal owner’s negligence. Investigation is key in these cases, and the motor vehicle collision attorneys at Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz have the experience and the resources to properly investigate and develop your case. Let us explain how we can assist you in a personal injury case by contacting us today for a free consultation. You may call us toll-free at 800-LAW-4004, or you may complete our online form. NST is the way to go.