if you hit a dog in the street are you legally responsible to pay vet bills?

Question

dog ran out in the street, tried to stop but hit the dog, notified the owner and rendered assistance to get dog to the vet....do i need to do more?

Answer 1

You did more than most people do! No, the responsibility for the vet bills falls in the hands of the owner of the dog. It is also the owners responsibility to keep the dog out of the road. If the vehicle is damaged, It is the pet owners respomsibility for repairs to the vehicle. Hope the dog is OK.

Answer 2

Absolutely not. You did the right thing to call the owners and take it to the vet, but that's where your job ends. The owners should have had the dog under their control, and failed to do so. Its not like you drove into their yard and hit the dog while it was on a chain or in a pen, in which case I would have said yes lol, but it was an accident, and really the owners fault.

This is why there are lead laws. Where I live if your dog comes near/bothers your livestock and isn't on a lead or the lead is longer then one meter, you can shoot the dog and that's as simple and straight forward as it goes. Leads are for the dog's safety and should be used. Its not your fault they didn't. If they get nasty, make them pay for the damage to your car though lol. (if they are cool about it, your insurance should cover it anyway, I mean either way you get stuck with whatever up front fees)

Answer 3

No.

So the owner doesn't care enough about the dog to take care of it on an everyday basis, but when it runs into the street and gets hit suddenly YOU have to pay a vet bill for the owner? The owner was at fault and is responsible for the dog.

I had a dog bolt from its owner once right at the van I was driving. I had eight kids from a summer camp with me and knew I could not endager their safety for the sake of a dog. I swerved right, so did the dog; I swerved left, and the dog did, too. I got one more try to avoid the dog but no, it jumped right into the front bumper. I had another friend in the front seat who could not believe it and there was the owner watching the whole thing. Poor guy.

The owner apologized profusely and dog ran off and hid under a house. Judging by his speed, he did not appear hurt. But there was just no way to avoid that thing! Fortunately I had slowed to about 10 mph, so it wasn't all that bad. I will always remember the sound of his claws on the pavement...

Answer 4

No you are not legally responsible for vet bills. One could argue that it was not your fault that the dog ran into the street. It is a good idea to stop and see if you could help though. A hit and run is bad even if it is only on a dog.

Answer 5

No, You are not responsible for the dog's vet bills. If the dog did damage to your car then the owner is responsible to fix your car. At least the owners are responsible in the state of Ohio. That law may vary from state to state.

Answer 6

It depends on the local law. If there is a leash law in your area the owner of the dog may be responsible for paying for damage to your vehicle. It would be a nice thing to offer a limited amout of money toward the vet bill, but you do not have to pay.

Answer 7

the laws may be different depending on where you live. here, I beleive the dog owner is liabable for damages to the car because the owner is supposed to have control of the dog, dogs are supposed to be on a leash.

hopefully the onwer will be gratefull you notified them and got the dog to the vet, many people wouldn't do as much.

Answer 8

No. The dog is the owners responsibility to care for the dog and to keep the dog in the yard or chained.

Answer 9

No you did all that is required it is the owners responsibility, dogs are not supposed to run lose especially in the road, I would be mad at the owner for neglecting the dog and putting you in such a bad spot.

Answer 10

No, you wouldn't be responsible for the vet bills. It was the owners resposibility to keep their dog off the road.