Driver hit chicken, wants us to pay for new bumper

[Coralietg]

The girl said there were chicken feathers stuck to the bumper and she took pictures. My partner looked and couldn't see any feathers. He said the bumper was a whole moulded piece of plastic, so any repair would mean replacing the whole bumper.

It seems likely that the chicken did the damage, but the chicken wouldn't have done that damage if they had been doing the speed limit.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

did they leave contact info? i would be the first one to report it though. call the police and tell them what happened. they may know more about these people then you think. and they would definitely know if any damage could be caused by going speed limit. which i know it cant. and write down names. dont pay these people unless court tells you to. or someone in the system. i am sorry for your loss

 

[Kildare49]

Sorry for your loss. I have seen damage to cheap fenders from smaller birds such as pheasants & grouse. Much more damage if they are little higher and hit plastic grill and cheap radiator & mounts.

Even my heavy duty took about $2,000 ( 10 yrs ago ) from a hen turkey ( yep bigger bird ).

No police report? Not sure how each state operates.

 

[Bullitt]

The chicken just jumped right in front of the car? Did the person try to stop? Are there skid marks on the street or anything?

It seems strange that a car going 20 MPH would be damaged by hitting a chicken.

I would call the local police or sheriff's department and give them this driver's name and see if they have anything on this person. You can also run a check if you have the license plate number of the person's car.


If someone came to my house and said I just killed your chicken by hitting it with my car, and demanded I pay money for a dent on the bumper, I would probably have some choice words for them when it is a 20 MPH road.

Something doesn't make sense here.

 

[Coralietg]

The chickens have been in the road at the front of the house, eating some kind of berry/pod that is dropping from the trees. When I spot them in the road, I've been herding them back into the back. I was out most of the day with a doctors appointment, so it was my partner dealing with it today.

The chickens body was completely separated from one whole leg and thigh, so it didn't take just a small hit. We're in the middle of a very clear, 0.2 mile stretch of the road, the whole road has a 20mph speed limit. There are no skid marks.

We have egg signs out front, but no caution signs for the chickens. I'm making some tomorrow. I've read that that can help against further claims against us.

 

[carscollector]

I would suggest buying him a new bumper.

 

[Kildare49]

Knowing that you your chickens are getting onto the road? Really?
Sorry but you are asking for a bad result. Imagine if they swerve to miss the chicken.
I don't care if the speed limit is 20mph. No excuse. Roads are not free range areas.

 

[petrel]

The speed limit in my subdivision is 25mph. I have four neighbors who free range their chickens. If a chicken is in the road I slow down and give it time to move or drive around it! No, I don't think it is OK to let them roam in the road, but I'm certainly not going to run them over.

I would not pay them one thin dime without being directed to do so by my own attorney or a court of competent jurisdiction. If they are so reckless as to run over a chicken in a 20mph zone, they are going to have to go to the time and expense of having their insurance company made aware of the incident and attempt to subrogate against mine, or seeking legal remedy.

Take the grand, I can't believe you are considering paying them voluntarily, and build a fence and hire an attorney, but don't pay those idiots. Definitely talk to the police about the matter as well.

 

[Sjisty]

They were negligent by speeding, you were negligent by letting your chickens into the road. I do believe you are both at fault. A court would probably make you share the cost of the bumper.

Most of all, you need to keep your chickens out of the road. If the driver had swerved instead of hitting the chicken, someone could have gotten injured or killed.

 

[Coralietg]

We live in the country, there are several properties that have free ranging chickens. Last week, there were pigs in the road. We are the only property who has even put a fence up towards the front. To finish fencing our acres would cost several thousand more and we just couldn't afford that this year.

These are turning into extremely expensive eggs!