A Knoxville pedestrian recently defied all odds and walked away from a car accident in Waldo County. The accident happened when a vehicle swerved to avoid hitting a deer and ran right into the man walking along the side of the road. He was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center with a broken neck, according to the Republican Journal. The vehicle was traveling so fast that when it hit the embankment, it went flying through the air and skidded for a couple hundred feet.A second animal-related car accident in Maine turned fatal as an 18-year-old driver also tried to swerve to avoid hitting a deer. The accident happened in Harpswell when the young driver swerved to avoid contact with the animal. His vehicle was sent into trees lining the roadway. Upon striking the trees, the vehicle flipped.
Our Portland car accident attorneys would like to warn drivers about the increased risks we’ll be facing over the next few months. According to State Farm, the largest insurer of U. . private passenger auto, October through December are the most dangerous months on our roadways for deer-car accidents. From July of 2010 to June of 2011, there were more than a million car-deer accidents reported in the U. . These accidents can cause damage in a number of ways, to your vehicle, to motorists and to your pocketbook. An animal-related car accident typically costs drivers more than $3,000. Injuries can be much more serious.
In 2009, these types of accidents cost drivers nearly $5 billion. More than $3.5 billion was handed over to repair vehicle damage and about $1 billion was used to cover medical payments and other out-of-pocket costs.
In our state, there are approximately 3,000 deer-car accidents every year. About 10 accidents are reported every day and they’re reported throughout all areas of the state. In the last three years, there have been more than 9,000 accidents reported; killing two people and injuring nearly 400.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there were nearly 200 fatalities because of animal-related accidents in 2009 in the U. . These accidents resulted in another 10,000 motorist injuries.
The Maine Department of Transportation (MoDOT) offers you these tips to help avoid a deer-car accident:
-Turn on your high beams when there are no vehicles driving in front of you or any vehicles driving toward you. This will help to light up the road so that you’re better able to see deer. The light will also reflect from their eyes, which helps to make them more visible.
-Make sure that you always travel at a safe speed so that you’re able to stop quickly if you need to.
-Slow down when driving through fog and rain. Poor weather conditions reduce your ability to spot a deer.
-Always scan the roadside.
-If you see a deer cross the road, be cautious as there are probably more. Deer usually travel in groups.
-Always wear your seat belt.
-Be extra cautious during dawn and dusk. About 70 percent of these accident occurred when it was dark out.
In the last three years:
-Cumberland County experienced nearly 1,500 deer-related accidents.
-Penobscot County had more than 1,200 accidents.
-Kennebec County had more than 1,000 crashes.
Contact the experienced injury attorneys at Peter Thompson & Associates if you or someone you loved has been involved in a deer-related trucking accident in Bangor, Portland or the surrounding areas. The advice and assistance of an attorney can help to you make sure that you get the proper compensation from your insurance company in the event of an animal-related accident. Call 1-800-804-2004 to make a appointment to speak to an attorney about your case.
Additional Resources:
Man with broken neck walks away from crash scene, by Tanya Mitchell, Republican Journal
More Blog Entries:
Maine DOT Participates in Walk to School Day to Raise Awareness of Child Pedestrian Accidents in Bangor, Maine Injury Lawyer Blog, October 3, 2011
Advocates Step Up to Help Curb Distracted Driving Car Accidents in Portland and Elsewhere, Maine Injury Lawyer Blog, September 27, 2011