Q: My dog was hit by a car New Years Eve. He just brought the bill to us for damage to his bumper. Are we liable?
Someone let both my neighbors and our dogs out the same night. We discovered they were missing the gate open no later than 10 minutes. Dogs have seldom gotten lose in 10 years. The man who hit our dog never came to us, but another neighbor took him to the emergency vet, and they ran his chip and called us right away. She indicated this man was going faster than he should have been. It was dark and right before a pending storm. We were looking all over. Our dog may still require surgery on his leg with a torn ACL. We have had him to two vets and 3 times at a cost of over $300. He is a boxer.
A:
See if your homeowners will pay as a casualty loss. Depending on your deductible that may not be worth it. Did you report it to the police? Many policies require it.
If the other guy sues you for the bumper it's not your fault if the dogs were set loose.
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