Collisions with livestock, such as cows, horses, or sheep, can cause devastating injuries and unexpected legal headaches. You may face expensive medical treatment, vehicle damage, or insurance companies that don’t return your calls. You may also be wondering, Do I need a lawyer for this?
The answer depends on the details of your situation, but if the accident caused serious harm or left you dealing with confusing insurance or liability questions, speaking with a lawyer for a livestock accident is likely in your best interest.
At Silva Injury Law, we help injury victims navigate the legal aftermath of livestock-related crashes. These cases are often far more complex than they appear, and missing key steps early can jeopardize your chance at fair compensation. Read on to learn why hiring a lawyer is essential to protecting your rights.
Why Livestock Accidents Are Uniquely Complicated
Not all accidents involve clear-cut liability. When livestock is involved, the legal issues quickly become more complex than a typical car crash. Let’s look at some factors that can make these accidents so challenging.
Ownership Isn’t Always Obvious
In rural areas, livestock often roam across large or unfenced areas. It may take a thorough investigation to determine who owned the animal and whether they failed to secure it. If you don’t identify the responsible party quickly, it can delay or derail your claim.
Evidence Can Disappear
In livestock accident cases, crucial evidence can vanish within hours. Animals are often moved, fencing is repaired, and eyewitnesses may be hard to track down, especially in rural areas. If you don’t act quickly, it becomes much harder to prove how and why the animal got loose or whether the owner failed to meet their legal obligations. Without photos of the scene, veterinary or ownership records, or documentation of prior incidents, your case could become one person’s word against another’s.
Multiple Parties Could Be Involved
The animal’s owner isn’t always the only liable party. For example, if a ranch employee failed to secure the gate during their shift or a property manager ignored repeated maintenance issues, they could be partially responsible. Without legal experience, it can be tough to know who had a duty to prevent the accident or how their actions (or inactions) contributed to your injuries.
Insurance Issues Can Complicate Your Claim
Insurance companies don’t always make the process easy. Livestock-related accidents tend to raise red flags for adjusters because of their complexity. They may deny coverage or question where liability lies. For example, the insurer might argue that the animal escaped due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the owner’s control, putting the burden on you to prove negligence.
In other cases, an adjuster might offer a settlement that doesn’t come close to what your claim is worth. Insurers often seek fast settlements before you understand the full impact of your injuries or losses. Once you accept, you typically can’t go back, even if new symptoms emerge or long-term consequences appear.
Having a lawyer on your side helps ensure you’re not misled, pressured, or left with less than you need to recover.
What an Attorney Can Do for You
Hiring a lawyer for a livestock accident gives you the best chance to recover physically, financially, and emotionally. At Silva Injury Law, we take a hands-on approach to every case, carefully analyzing every detail. Read on to learn what we do for our clients.
Investigate the Accident Thoroughly
Our team can help inspect the crash scene promptly, locate the animal’s owner, review fencing or property records, and interview witnesses. We’ll work to determine how the animal got loose and who should be held accountable.
Identify Every Liable Party
We assess all parties who may share blame for the accident, from livestock owners and farm employers to municipalities or businesses responsible for road maintenance or signage. This strategy helps maximize your chances of recovery.
Navigate Insurance Hurdles
Our advocates can manage all communications with insurance companies and advise you at each step. Whether your insurer is giving you the runaround or the livestock owner’s carrier is denying fault, we know how to push back, present evidence, and negotiate strategically.
Calculate the Full Value of Your Claim
We go beyond what’s immediately visible. Your claim may include emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, loss of income, diminished earning capacity, and even long-term disability. We work to determine all applicable damages in your case.
Prepare for Trial If Necessary
At Silva Injury Law, we treat every case as if it might go to trial. That means gathering strong evidence early, developing a clear legal strategy, and preparing thoroughly. While many livestock accident claims settle out of court, being ready to present your case to a jury gives you leverage during negotiations.
Talk to a Lawyer for a Livestock Accident Today
You may only get one chance to recover the compensation you need. In California, you typically have two years from the accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, waiting too long to speak with a lawyer or trying to handle the case alone can cost you valuable time, evidence, and legal leverage. If you wait too long to take action, you could lose your chance to recover compensation at all.
At Silva Injury Law, we’re not afraid to take on challenging or unusual cases. We have years of experience representing clients injured on the roads of the Central Valley and across California, and we’re committed to treating every case with the care and urgency it deserves.
Contact Silva Injury Law today for a free case evaluation. We’ll listen to your story, explain your options, and help you decide whether hiring a lawyer is the right next step.
