If you hit and injure an animal (apart from a bird), you are required by law to do whatever you reasonably can to ease its pain. If it's not a wild animal then the injury must be reported to the police or the animal's owner.
Move the animal to safety (if it can be moved) and ideally take it to the nearest vet. Notify the owner as soon as possible if the cat is microchipped. If the cat cannot be identified at the vets, tell your local council and file a missing pet report.
First, check your immediate surroundings for the owner. If they're near the scene of the accident they may be distressed, so you should try to stay calm and share your details with them. If you hit a dog you'll need to call the police. Unfortunately for their owners, if you hit a cat you don't need to do so.
Unfortunately, wildlife collisions are pretty common in Australia. For example, in NSW, one in every 41 casualty crashes on a country road involves an animal collision1. Luckily, Bingle Comprehensive Car Insurance can cover your vehicle if it's damaged in a collision with an animal.
If your vehicle is too damaged to move and you are blocking the road, keep your hazard lights on and call the police for assistance. Once you're safe, talk to the other parties involved in the car accident. If anyone is injured or trapped, first call 000 for emergency assistance.
If someone was seriously hurt or died
If you caused the accident and left the scene, but someone was seriously hurt or died because of the accident, the police could charge you with an indictable offence. This is very serious. You could go to jail for up to ten years or get a big fine. Get legal help .
Accidental damage sometimes comes as standard on premium policies, but it's often sold as an added extra on more basic policies. It may cover accidents like your dog's waggy tail knocking over an expensive vase, but many specifically exclude pet damage caused by chewing, scratching, tearing and fouling.
AAMI Comprehensive Car Insurance may cover damage to your car in the event of a collision with animals and wildlife. You might be insured up to the amount covered/market value depending on what is reflected on your Certificate of Insurance, if your vehicle is considered a total loss as a result of the insured event.
In case a kangaroo inevitably jumps in front of your vehicle, it is best to just brake heavily instead of trying to swerve to avoid them. The best advice is to just slow down and try braking in a straight line. You should only try swerving once your vehicle has slowed down sufficiently.
Never hold down, shake or hit your cat. Physically harming your cat can actually make the situation worse and cause her to lash out or become withdrawn. Also, cats have a hard time associating the physical punishment with the bad behavior, so you're not actually training her to stop doing it.
Overhead movements or certain noises may frighten an abused cat, triggering a long-term memory of prior trauma. It's possible your cat will carry that unpleasant memory for the rest of his life.
“Cats don't forgive, and once they realize a person is causing them anxiety or hurt, they keep away.” So says John Bradshaw, an anthrozoologist at Bristol University and author of “Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet.”
If you hit and injure an animal (apart from a bird), you are required by law to do whatever you reasonably can to ease its pain. If it's not a wild animal then the injury must be reported to the police or the animal's owner.
But the prognosis is generally good. Survival rates of 80-90% are recorded (Robertson, 2021). We would expect these cats to return to a normal quality of life.
Signs of injury include: Shock is very common following trauma and results from an inability of the heart to pump enough blood to the internal organs. Symptoms of shock include pale gums, increased respiratory rate and heart rate, weakness, low blood pressure, weak pulses, low body temperature and collapse.
For property insured in NSW, QLD, ACT and TAS
If you choose to add the Pet lover's pack as an optional extra, you'll be covered for damage caused by your cats and dogs. You can add the Pet lover's pack when you get your home insurance quote or log in to your account to add it to your current policy.
Standard pet insurance covers expenses due to specified accidental injuries and illnesses. For more comprehensive coverage, you can add optional Routine Care which provides cover for a range of preventative healthcare treatments up to a limit (such as desexing, teeth cleaning and vaccinations).
Routine and preventative treatment - Treatments such as vaccinations, spaying, castration, flea, worm and tick treatments, grooming, claw clipping and dental or teeth maintenance. Any costs arising from these treatments or complications arising may also not be covered.
Generally, accidental damage cover doesn't include damage caused by: wear and tear. the gradual deterioration of something with age. wilful or deliberate acts.
Who is responsible for accidental damage? Even if the damage is caused by tenants, it is the landlord's responsibility to pay for any repairs needed as a result.
Accidental damage is physical damage that happens out of the blue and is not done on purpose. There needs to be a one-off, single event that causes the damage. This could be: Dropping and breaking your phone at home.
If you reside in Australia and are hurt in an accident caused by someone else's carelessness, you only have a certain period to submit a personal injury claim. A personal injury case in Australia has a three-year limitation period.
You must make a CTP claim within three months of the accident. It's important to note that in NSW, if you submit your claim more than 28 days from the date of the accident, you may not receive backpay of entitlements to the date the accident happened.
Usually, a 3 year time limit applies for making and settling a claim with the Motor Accidents Authority. However, in most cases, motor vehicle accident personal injury claims are submitted within 6 months from the date of the accident.