Personal Injury Claims & Animals: What’s the Law?

In North Carolina, animals are considered personal property, and lawyers handle animal injury claims similarly to damaged property. Animals don’t have personal injury claims  the way people do. We know pets are considered part of the family, but you cannot file an injury claim for an animal’s pain and suffering. That doesn’t mean you cannot recoup any financial compensation if a pet, service animal, or livestock you own is harmed in a car accident, transport truck rollover, or other incident.

You may have a claim for injuries to your animal, whether you are harmed or not. If you and your dog are hit by a vehicle, you may claim your injuries and those of your pet in the same pedestrian accident claim. If only your pet was injured, you may still make a personal property damage claim through an insurer or a lawyer. You can recover the following types of compensation for injuries to an animal:

• Veterinary bills
• Lost income for caring for your animal/taking them for treatment
• Fair market value if the animal is killed and you replace it
• Lost profits if the animal was livestock or used for breeding

Each animal injury case is different and can be tricky to manage, especially if you were also hurt or if other  property damage happened (such as a totaled vehicle). The amount of funds may also be limited by the available insurance. Generally, the same statutes of limitations apply to claims for personal property damage as for an injured animal, but a lawyer can confirm whether other factors change the timeline. You should also be aware that, similarly to personal injury claims, an insurance adjuster may try to offer you inadequate reimbursement for your animal’s care.

The lawyers of the Miller Law Group have handled insurance claims and personal injury cases for more than 50 years combined. Contact us today for a free evaluation of your animal injury claim if your pet, service animal, or livestock was injured or killed by someone else’s negligence.