What Happens When You Hit Wildlife With Your Car in California? Legal Duties, Liability, and Safety Tips Explained

Wildlife collisions happen fast. One second you are driving a familiar stretch of road, and the next you are dealing with a damaged car, a dangerous shoulder, and a hard question about what you are supposed to do next.

According to a UC Davis Road Ecology Center report, more than 48,000 deer and many thousands of other animals are killed each year by vehicles on California roads, and the statewide cost of wildlife vehicle collisions is measured in the hundreds of millions annually.

If a crash leaves you or a loved one injured, State Law Firm can help you make sense of your options, and if your family needs a Beverly Hills nursing home abuse lawyer for a different kind of harm, you deserve the same clear guidance and accountability.

Understanding the Risks: Why Wildlife Collisions Happen on California Roads

Wildlife vehicle collisions are not random. They follow patterns, and once you know the patterns, you can start driving with fewer surprises.

Why they happen

• Dawn, dusk, and night driving. Many animals move most during low light hours. Your visibility drops, and their activity rises.
• Seasonal movement and mating cycles. Deer and other wildlife are more likely to cross roadways during seasonal migration, rutting, and when searching for food and water.
• Edge habitats. Roads that cut between open space and neighborhoods, or between hillsides and waterways, become natural crossing points.
• Two animals, not one. If you see one deer, assume there may be another behind it. Many collisions happen when drivers relax too early.

A quick reality check
A “small” impact can become a serious injury event. Airbags deploy. Cars spin. Drivers swerve into oncoming lanes. In personal injury work, it is often the second collision, with a guardrail or another vehicle, that causes the worst harm.

The Impact on Animals and Local Ecosystems

Beyond the immediate crash, roadkill changes the ecology around roads. It can reduce local populations, disrupt migration routes, and increase the risk for predators and scavengers approaching the roadway. If California wants safer roads for people and healthier habitats for wildlife, preventing collisions is the common ground.

Your Legal Duties After Hitting Wildlife in California

Your first duty is safety. Your next duty is to do what the law requires, especially if there is property damage, a human injury, or a continuing hazard on the roadway.

1) Get to a safe stopping point

If your vehicle is drivable, move to the nearest safe location that does not block traffic or create a new danger. Turn on hazard lights. If you are on a narrow shoulder or a blind curve, stay alert to secondary crashes.

2) Check for injuries and call for help

If anyone is hurt, call 911. Even if you feel “mostly fine,” symptoms can show up later, especially with head, neck, and back injuries. Document how you feel in real time and seek medical evaluation.

3) Do not handle an injured animal

A frightened animal can kick, bite, or bolt into traffic. In California, drivers are instructed to call the nearest humane society or law enforcement if an animal is injured or killed, and not to try to move an injured animal. If the animal is creating a roadway hazard, let trained responders handle it.

4) If there is property damage, you may have additional legal obligations

Wildlife collisions often damage more than your car: guardrails, fences, mailboxes, parked vehicles, or landscaping. When a crash results in property damage, California law can require you to stop, identify yourself, and notify the property owner. If you cannot locate the owner, you may need to leave a written notice and notify local police or the California Highway Patrol. If you are unsure whether you damaged public property, it is safer to treat it as reportable and get guidance from responding officers.

5) File the required DMV report when the thresholds are met

California requires an SR-1 report to the DMV within 10 days when a collision results in injury or death, or property damage over a set threshold. This DMV requirement exists even if a police report was made, and even if you believe you were not at fault. You can review the DMV’s SR-1 instructions here: Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1).

6) Be careful about taking roadkill home

Some drivers assume it is legal to salvage the animal, especially deer. In California, taking wildlife is generally unlawful unless allowed by regulation or a specific permit program. The state has authorized a limited wildlife salvage permit pilot for certain large game animals in specific circumstances, but it is not a casual “grab and go” situation. If you are considering salvaging an animal, treat it as a regulated activity and confirm your eligibility and the required documentation before you move anything.

If you are shaken, injured, or dealing with major vehicle damage, focus on safety and documentation first. Legal compliance and insurance strategy come next. That order protects you.

Liability Issues: Who Pays for Damages After a Wildlife Collision?

The frustrating truth is that wildlife does not carry insurance. The practical question becomes: what coverage is available, and is anyone legally responsible besides you?

Insurance: what usually applies

Start by separating three buckets of loss:

1. Damage to your vehicle
2. Injuries to drivers and passengers
3. Damage to someone else’s property (guardrail, fence, another vehicle)

Most people carry required liability insurance, which is designed to cover harm you cause to others. Vehicle repairs to your own car often depend on optional coverages, such as collision and comprehensive, and the exact language in your policy. Do not assume. Pull your declarations page, confirm your deductibles, and ask your insurer which coverage category they are applying.

When another person may be responsible

Not every “animal crash” is truly a wildlife crash. Liability can look different in situations like these:

• A domestic animal or pet that was negligently allowed onto the roadway. If an owner failed to restrain an animal in a way the law requires, you may have a claim.
• Livestock on the road. Rural rules can be complicated. Some areas operate under open range concepts, and fencing obligations vary by location and facts. These cases turn on details, not assumptions.
• A secondary collision caused by another driver. If a driver was tailgating, speeding, distracted, or made an unsafe maneuver after you slowed for an animal, fault may shift.

When government responsibility is alleged

Some cases involve roadway design, signage, or fencing. Claims against public entities follow strict procedures and deadlines, and the facts have to justify the theory. It is not enough that a road is “dangerous.” The claim needs evidence.

If your crash caused injuries, major property damage, or raises questions about fault, you do not have to guess your way through it. A lawyer can help preserve evidence, communicate with insurers, and evaluate whether a third party is responsible.

What to Do Immediately After a Wildlife Accident: Step-by-Step Safety Tips

This is the checklist that protects your health, your passengers, and your future claim.

Step 1: Stabilize the scene

• Pull over safely, hazards on, seatbelt on until it is safe to exit.
• If you must exit, do it away from traffic. Stand behind a guardrail when possible.
• Use flares or reflective triangles only if you can do so without stepping into danger.

Step 2: Call 911 when the situation is unsafe, or if anyone may be injured

Call immediately if:

• Anyone is hurt, even slightly
• Your vehicle is disabled in a traffic lane, or the shoulder is unsafe
• The animal is on the roadway, creating a hazard
• There is a multi-car risk developing behind you

Step 3: Do not approach the animal

Even injured animals can lunge. Even dead animals can present biohazard risks. Let responders handle removal and containment.

Step 4: Document like a careful witness

Use your phone to capture:

• Wide shots of the scene, roadway, visibility, and signage
• Vehicle damage from multiple angles
• Skid marks, debris, and any impact points on barriers or fences
• Weather, time, and location details
• Your injuries (bruising, cuts) as they develop over hours and days

If you later need to prove the force of impact, the hazard conditions, or the existence of secondary damage, these photos matter.

Step 5: Protect the insurance claim without oversharing

• Report the crash promptly.
• Stick to facts. Avoid guessing about speed, distances, or what the animal “must have done.”
• If you are injured, say so and seek care. A delayed treatment gap can be used against you.

Step 6: Handle the DMV report requirement if the thresholds are met

If the collision involved injury, death, or property damage over the reportable threshold, file the SR-1 within the deadline. Do not assume the police report replaces your DMV obligation.

If an insurer is minimizing your injuries, disputing coverage, or pushing you toward a quick settlement, legal guidance can level the playing field. And if your family is dealing with harm in a different setting, including suspected elder abuse, speak with a Beverly Hills nursing home abuse lawyer who understands how to prove wrongdoing with evidence and urgency.

How to Prevent Wildlife Collisions: Practical Driving Tips for Californians

No one drives perfectly. The goal is to drive in a way that leaves you room to react.

Read the road like habitat

• Treat wildlife crossing signs as real warnings, not decorations.
• Scan road shoulders for movement and eye shine at night.
• In canyon roads and forested corridors, assume the next bend has a crossing.

Adjust speed where it matters

Speed is not just about tickets. It is about reaction time and stopping distance. Even slightly slowing down in high-risk zones gives you options besides swerving.

Use light intelligently

• Use high beams when safe and legal. It buys you seconds.
• Keep your windshield clean inside and out to reduce glare.
• If an animal is visible ahead, brake gradually and stay in your lane when possible.

Expect the second animal

If you see one deer, slow down longer than your instincts want. Many drivers crash because they accelerate too early.

Keep your car prepared

• Tires with proper tread reduce the chance of skidding during emergency braking.
• Working headlights and aligned beams improve detection distance.
• A dashcam can be powerful evidence in disputed claims.

Stay Informed and Drive Responsibly to Protect Yourself and California’s Wildlife

Hitting wildlife is not just a bad moment; it is a chain of decisions that follows. Get safe, get help, document, and meet your reporting obligations. Then take the time to understand insurance coverage and fault, especially if injuries or significant property damage are involved.

In California, the smartest response is calm and methodical: protect people first, keep the roadway safe, report when required, and get advice when the stakes are high.