Texas Law: Who’s to Blame if You Hit a Cow With Your Car?
Ah, the age-old question... somewhere, probably. Texas is known for roaming cattle, but what happens when a driver hits one while traveling on the road? Well, it actually depends on the county. Let me explain.
Recently, the Texas Standard interviewed a Texas agricultural law professor, Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, and asked for her response on commonly-asked questions involving free-roaming cattle on streets.
What are Stock Laws in Texas?
Lashmet was asked about Texas stock laws and how common they are in the state. Stock laws are rules that govern free-range livestock on properties. They vary from county to county, and you can check the Texas State Law Library to see what they look like in your neck of the woods.
She was then asked the hypothetical question of what would happen if a driver runs into a cow on a Texas road and both get injured as a result. Lashmet stated that in an open-range county (more lax stock laws), there may be no liability on the livestock owner since their cattle are free to roam wherever.
Even though closed-range counties have stricter cattle laws, if you hit a wandering cow in these counties, it's not always certain that the livestock owner would be liable.
Isn't law fun?
Paying the Extra Moo-lah
Lashmet finally brought up the fact that ranchers who live in a county that changes from free-range to closed-range laws will, in fact, have to pay extra for fencing and other equipment needed to fence in their cattle.
This could mean that livestock owners would have to pay up to $15,000 a mile in fencing, if they don't already have one up.
You can access the full interview with Tiffany Lashmet from the Texas Standard website.
So, the next time you see a herd of cattle roaming along a rural road, play it safe and just stay aware; stop your car and wait for them to pass.
You don't want to risk anything and have to pay an arm and four legs in legal fees.
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