"Dog killed by car, family billed for the damages"

[mariomike]

Star:
"Insurance company charges pet owners for repairing car that struck Lab":
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/815050--dog-killed-by-car-family-billed-for-the-damages?bn=1#article

I think the dog owner should be liable for the car repair.

 

[gcclarke]

Seconded. Sure, I feel sorry for the family, but they're living in la-la land if they think that their actions shouldn't ever have any concequences. In this case, their actions are what caused the loss of their dog and almost 2 grand worth of damage to someone's car. Why, praytell, should the insurance company be expected to swallow that amount?

 

[Kat Stevens]

Sad story, and I feel for the pet owners, but they are at fault.  I live in a small rural hamlet of 12 houses.  There are more dogs, cats and horses than people, and people let their dogs and cats run loose.  My dogs never leave the house or their run without a leash on them.  My neighbours don't understand why, maybe I should show them this article.  When you bring a pet into your life, you take on the obligation of insuring it's safety and good health, and that includes not letting them get killed by cars.

 

[TruckerJeff]

I also agree, I am a dog lover myself, and for that reason I keep my dog on a leash at ALL TIME! For his own safety! I  totaly think that these people are responsible, just as much as if the dog would have attacked someone...

 

[Neolithium]

Poor dog had some irresponsible owners.

 

[mariomike]

Asked how a case involving a pet would differ from one involving a pedestrian or cyclist, Bordignon responded: “We look at each case on its individual merits. We have to consider the rights of our customers who incurred damage or injury, but depending on the situation all circumstances are looked at before any decision to subrogate is made."

"Aurora bylaws require a pet to be on a leash when off the owner’s property."

"State Farm has told the Flemmings it can pursue costs through their homeowner liability insurance, rather than through them personally, Bordignon added."

Sometimes, drivers have swerved onto sidewalks to avoid hitting unleashed dogs.

I  totaly think that these people are responsible, just as much as if the dog would have attacked someone...

For that, we have The Dog Owners’ Liability Act. This is for Ontario.:
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90d16_e.htm

 

[gcclarke]

I hit a pedestrian once. Long story short, when the cops showed up, they determined her to be completely at fault. She was given a ticket for jaywalking, and I was sent on my merry way (albiet 30 minutes late for work). One of the things the police asked me, which I was rather confused at at the time, was whether or not my car was damaged during the incident. It was, but it was just one of many dents and dings, and it wouldn't have been worth it to get it fixed, let alone go after her for the cost of the repairs.

 

[SeanNewman]

Just like the multiple posters above, I'm a dog lover as well but see nothing at all wrong with what the insurance company or car owner is doing

If I was driving safely down the road and had a dog bolt into the front of my car I wouldn't be expecting to pay for the damages either.

When kids are around you can safely avoid them in case they do something stupid like run out on the road because they are slow.  A dog on the other hand can easily run 50 km/h which is likely faster than I'm driving through a neighbourhood.

 

[gcclarke]

No to mention the fact that you will, generally speaking, at least be able to see the child before it attempts to dart into the raod. The same cannot be said for the dog.

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

The guilty party is GM, Ford etc. and their crap cars.  Why should taking out a dog cause any damage at all?  Many years ago I took out a coyote (I don't remember braking) with zip damage.  I also remember skidding backwards down an ice covered freeway and slamming the rear bumper of my 76 Trans Am into the guardrail.  I got out and there was only a scuff on the half inch rubber coating on the solid steel bumper.  I thought I had almost totalled it.  A couple years ago I touched a snowbank with my new car on a 40 below morning and cracked the thin plastic to crap.  They had to give up the 5mph bumper for the sake of fuel economy.

Almost every day I have to avoid dogs, cattle, horses, deer, moose, elk etc. and have done it successfully for over 40 years.  You just have to slow right down and understand that when you expect them to zig they will zag.  I live in the boonies and every dog including my own runs free.  When they get hit, they walk a little crooked for a while but usually recover.

 

[DexOlesa]

  A couple years ago I touched a snowbank with my new car on a 40 below morning and cracked the thin plastic to crap.  They had to give up the 5mph bumper for the sake of fuel economy.

Hit a patch of ice coming off a stop sign last year, was only in first gear was under 10km an hour slid off the road into a light pole which crunched up my car to my front axle. My old Camaro would have shrugged it off. I too live in "the boonies" and between the racoons and porcupines and deer some of the cars out here are in some rough shape.

 

[KnightShift]

Poor dog had some irresponsible owners.

Far too many of them do.....maybe towns and municipalities should be licensing dog owners as well as dogs.

 

[Nuggs]

The guilty party is GM, Ford etc. and their crap cars.  Why should taking out a dog cause any damage at all?  Many years ago I took out a coyote (I don't remember braking) with zip damage.  I also remember skidding backwards down an ice covered freeway and slamming the rear bumper of my 76 Trans Am into the guardrail.  I got out and there was only a scuff on the half inch rubber coating on the solid steel bumper.  I thought I had almost totalled it.  A couple years ago I touched a snowbank with my new car on a 40 below morning and cracked the thin plastic to crap.  They had to give up the 5mph bumper for the sake of fuel economy.

Almost every day I have to avoid dogs, cattle, horses, deer, moose, elk etc. and have done it successfully for over 40 years.  You just have to slow right down and understand that when you expect them to zig they will zag.  I live in the boonies and every dog including my own runs free.  When they get hit, they walk a little crooked for a while but usually recover.

And the old cars weren't really designed to protect the contants either. You might wreck a new car in a low speed accident but you might actually walk away if you hit something with any real force.

I loved my '72 Mustang, but the lack of a shoulder belt combined with a wedge shaped dash at neck level was a little unnerving for passengers.

I thought you might get a kick of this though

 

[Haggis]

The risk of damage to cars/trucks hitting unleashed "pets" pales in comparison to the consequences of hitting "pets" on a motorcycle.  If you love your pet, keep it on a leash!

 

[Thompson_JM]

The title of this seemed a bit Macabre until I read the story.... I never once thought I would utter the words "The Toronto Star Got it Right"....

This is totally the owners fault...  this quote really grinds my gears

“The whole thing is just macabre. We were deemed 100-per-cent responsible. Isn’t the driver responsible for how they operate their vehicle?” Flemming said.

Yeah... There was probabbly skid marks in front of the Dog you ignorant tool......  Hey here's one... as a pet owner, arnt you supposed to be responsible for your @#$@ing pet???? like keeping the damned thing on a leash?

Sheesh... welcome to the "pass the buck" society......

 

[bdave]

The guilty party is GM, Ford etc. and their crap cars.  Why should taking out a dog cause any damage at all?  Many years ago I took out a coyote (I don't remember braking) with zip damage.  I also remember skidding backwards down an ice covered freeway and slamming the rear bumper of my 76 Trans Am into the guardrail.  I got out and there was only a scuff on the half inch rubber coating on the solid steel bumper.  I thought I had almost totalled it.  A couple years ago I touched a snowbank with my new car on a 40 below morning and cracked the thin plastic to crap.

It's a safety feature. Accidents/impacts as they relate to vehicles usually occur at the front and/or the back.
Those parts are made to crumple/break easily because it allows a lot of the energy in a collision to be absorbed.
This increases your chance of survival.