damn dog...

Btw -- seriously. Did you get the digs name? What I mean is the owner of that dog is legally responsible to control that animal at all times. I see a legal issue here. If you wanted to be a dick I am sure some lawyer could make you a bundle. Providing the dogs owner has anything worth taking.

For me --I would at least get a new truck out of the situation if I could and I were you. My rational is (I hate lawyers) but the damn dog should not be on the street un supervised. I useto commute on a motorbike and more than once due to a loose dog I almost ate it. Plus I think if my daughter or someone I cared for swerved off the road and did not make it all because some owner did not care for his dog. Screw that -- I'd be pissed and not only for the truck

Maybe your situation doesn't lent itself to that but I think you get the point.

 

I worked in a safety office for awhile and I read many stories about people dieing or severely injuring themselves while trying to avoid animals in the road. If I see an animal on the side of the road, I just tell myself "do not swerve", slow down, and I do not take my eyes off the animal until I am past it...

I have also heard of insurance companies giving people a hard time after hitting a solid object while avoiding an animal.

Hope you get your truck fixed and back to normal.

 

It's always been my understanding that it's not worth risking your life to avoid an animal. I love dogs and the like, but I don't wanna total out my truck to miss one. The only animals you wanna watch out for are the ones that are going to kill you. Cows in the road are bad. Horses and moose will flip up and come through the windshield. If its small, hit the brakes and cross your fingers. But this is not worth it. And the truth is, you can hold the owner of domesticated animals liable for damage if their loos animal gets hit by your truck and causes damage. F'd up I know, but it's not your fault.

 

No, I'm pretty sure they say god. I know when a tree fell on my friends car they called it an act of god.

 

I hit one once in rural Idaho in the middle of the night, the first instinct is to swerve but I just gripped the wheel hammered the brakes and plowed right into it. Killed the dog but it was much better than driving into a ditch out there and possibly killing my family.

 

Jeez, but i presume you walked away unharmed? lol aside from the truck.

I had that happen once, the dog was just on the side of the road and then right as i started to approach it, the dog decied to go in the middle of the road! luckily i stomped on the brakes (woo for that ABS and Electronic Brake Force Distribution ) in time and barely missed the dog. I coulda swerved, but going at about 50MPH, thats just asking for a roll over.

 

I Second that.

 

yep, never swerve to miss an animal. good thing you didnt swerve into a little kid