Collisions with Deer and Pennsylvania Motorists: Who knew?

I come from a family of hunters, especially deer hunters. As a lawyer, I have been helping folks who’ve been in all manner of car crashes in Pennsylvania for over 22 years. So I was quite intrigued by a recent article I read about statistics involving deer accidents and motor vehicles. As it turns out – and this was the surprising part – of all the states in the U.S., Pennsylvania is the state with the highest number of car accidents involving deer each year. Some of my hunting friends would be surprised especially given the virtual disappearance of deer in the woods during hunting season lately, but that’s a story for another day. Nevertheless, statistics show that motorists hit 115,571 deer in Pennsylvania from the summer of 2011 until the summer of 2012. Second, is Michigan with 97,856 for the same period, and New York is third at 80,262 deer struck.
The main point of this blog then, is to sound the alarm to anyone who is reading it, that if you are going to be driving on Pennsylvania’s roadways, you owe it to yourself and your family to be extremely careful while driving, especially in areas where deer are known to be present. Also, deer are generally more prevalent on roadways at dusk and in the evening hours.
Also, you want to be sure that you have proper automobile insurance to cover you (i.e., for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost time from work, etc.) and your car in case you strike a deer while driving in Pennsylvania (or any state for that matter).
If you have any questions about the kinds of auto insurance coverage you might need or, if you happen to be in a collision with a deer on Pennsylvania’s roadways, please contact our attorneys for help in York, Lancaster, and surrounding counties for help. We will provide helpful advice and handle your case from start to finish.