If you hit a deer in New Jersey, stay in your lane, move to a safe location if the vehicle can be moved, call local law enforcement, and report the loss to your insurer promptly. Do not approach an injured animal or attempt to take antlers from roadkill.
Deer collisions are most common around dawn, dusk, and the fall mating season, but they can occur anywhere in the state. The steps below protect people first and preserve the records an insurer may need.
What to do immediately after hitting a deer
- Stop safely. Turn on hazard lights and move out of a travel lane if the vehicle can be driven safely.
- Check for injuries. Call 911 for any injury, fire, leaking fuel, blocked roadway, or immediate danger.
- Call local police. New Jersey DEP advises motorists to report deer-vehicle collisions to local law enforcement immediately.
- Stay away from the deer. An injured animal can move suddenly and cause serious injury.
- Document the scene. From a safe location, photograph vehicle damage, the road, debris, location, weather, and any relevant signs.
- Arrange safe towing. Do not drive with leaking fluids, damaged lights, tire contact, deployed airbags, or impaired steering.
Do not swerve if impact is unavoidable
NJDEP and NJDOT advise drivers to brake appropriately and stay in their lane when a collision appears inevitable. Swerving can send a vehicle into opposing traffic, a tree, a guardrail, or pedestrians and can turn an animal strike into a more serious crash.
If one deer crosses, slow down and expect others. Use high beams when lawful and when no vehicle is ahead or approaching, reduce speed in deer-active areas, and leave more following distance.
When is a crash report required?
New Jersey’s driver manual says motorists must notify police of crashes involving injury, death, or vehicle or property damage. If property damage exceeds $500 or anyone is injured, the motorist must send a written report to the MVC within 10 days if no police report is filed. A separate written MVC report is not required when police file the report.
Because $500 is a low threshold for modern vehicle repairs, calling police from the scene is the safest practical approach. Ask how to obtain the report number and a copy.
Which insurance coverage pays?
Damage caused by contact with a deer or other animal is generally handled under comprehensive coverage, subject to the deductible and policy terms. Collision coverage generally addresses impact with another vehicle, a fixed object, an object in the roadway, or an overturn.
Personal Injury Protection addresses covered medical expenses; it does not pay for vehicle damage. If you do not carry comprehensive coverage, your own policy may not pay to repair deer-impact damage.
Protect the insurance claim
- Notify the insurer or agent promptly.
- Keep the police report number, photographs, towing invoice, storage information, and repair documents.
- Make the vehicle available for inspection before permanent repairs.
- Take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage, such as covering a broken opening when safe.
- Remove personal belongings if the vehicle is stored, and track daily storage charges.
NJDOBI says an insurer that intends to inspect generally must do so within seven working days after notice when the damaged vehicle is available at a reasonably convenient place and time. Do not interpret that rule as permission to leave a vehicle accruing unlimited storage fees.
Can you keep the deer or its antlers?
No. New Jersey Fish & Wildlife states that it is illegal to possess antlers from roadkill or a naturally deceased deer. Do not move, tag, or take any part of the animal. Let law enforcement or the appropriate road authority handle it.
What if the insurer totals the vehicle?
If repair cost is economically impractical compared with the vehicle’s pre-loss actual cash value, the insurer may declare a total loss. Request the complete valuation report, verify trim, mileage, options, condition, comparable vehicles, tax, deductible, and any prior-damage deduction. A settlement generally is based on actual cash value, not the outstanding loan balance.
How to obtain a New Jersey crash report
For a local-police report, follow the instructions provided by the responding agency. New Jersey State Police motor-vehicle crash reports can be requested through the state’s official crash-report portal.
Bottom line
Do not swerve into a more dangerous crash. Stop safely, call police, avoid the animal, document the damage, notify the insurer, and make the vehicle available for inspection. Comprehensive coverage—not PIP—generally handles direct animal-contact damage.
Official sources
- NJDEP and NJDOT deer-collision safety guidance
- New Jersey Driver Manual: reporting crashes
- NJDOBI: filing an auto-damage claim
- New Jersey State Police crash-report portal
This article provides general safety and insurance information, not legal advice.
