How common deer crashes are
Michigan motorists reported 58,324 vehicle-deer crashes in 2024. Fourteen people were killed and 1,816 were injured. November alone had 10,017 of them, 17.2% of the year. The State Police say most happen at dawn and dusk, between 8 and 9 a.m. and between 6 and 9 p.m.
| County | Crashes |
|---|---|
| Oakland | 2,024 |
| Genesee | 1,510 |
| Washtenaw | 1,409 |
| St. Clair | 1,032 |
| Livingston | 989 |
| Macomb | 702 |
| Wayne | 624 |
| Monroe | 563 |
Oakland County had the second-most deer crashes of any county in Michigan. Together these eight counties had 8,853 deer crashes, 15.2% of the state total. Download the table: deer-crashes-2024-southeast-michigan.csv (source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts; please credit MTCF).
Your injuries: no-fault pays
A crash with a deer is a motor vehicle accident like any other. Your own auto insurer, or the insurer of a relative you live with, pays your medical care, lost wages, household help and mileage to appointments, up to the PIP limit you chose. Passengers are covered the same way. Give the insurer written notice within one year of the crash; the deadline calculator shows every date.
Your car: comprehensive or collision
- You hit the deer. Under most policies this is a comprehensive claim, which usually has a lower deductible than collision.
- You swerved and hit something else. Hitting a tree, a guardrail or another car is usually a collision claim, and swerving can also turn a minor crash into a serious one. The State Police’s advice is plain: “Do not swerve.” Brake firmly, stay in your lane and hold the wheel with both hands.
- No comprehensive or collision coverage. The repair is generally yours. Michigan’s mini-tort claim only works against another driver who was at fault.
When another driver is involved
Many deer crashes involve a second car: a driver who stops for a deer and is rear-ended, or a driver who swerves across the center line. Then the ordinary fault rules apply. A driver who rear-ends a stopped car is presumed negligent (see rear-end collisions), and you may have a claim for pain and suffering if your injury meets the serious impairment threshold.
Motorcycles and deer
A motorcyclist who hits a deer with no car involved generally has no no-fault claim, because Michigan PIP covers motorcyclists only when a motor vehicle is involved. Care is paid by the medical coverage on the motorcycle policy and health insurance. See motorcycle crashes.
After a deer crash
- Move to safety, turn on your hazard lights and stay away from the injured deer.
- Call the police. Insurers commonly ask for the crash report on a deer claim, and you will need the report number.
- Photograph the car, the road and the deer if it is safe to.
- Get checked by a doctor, and tell every provider the injury came from a car crash so the bills go to your no-fault insurer.
- Report the claim to your insurer promptly, in writing as well as by phone.
If you were hurt and your insurer is slow, disputes your treatment or denies the claim, talk to a lawyer before the one-year notice deadline. The review is free, and there is no attorney fee unless money is recovered.
Sources: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, 2024 Deer fact sheet; Michigan State Police, Office of Highway Safety Planning, Vehicle-Deer Crashes; MCL 500.3105, 500.3114, 500.3145; MCL 257.402(a).
Questions people ask us
Does no-fault pay my medical bills if I hit a deer?
Yes. Hitting a deer while driving a car is a motor vehicle accident, so your own no-fault insurer, or a household relative’s, pays your medical care, lost wages and household help, the same as any other crash. Nobody else has to be at fault.
Who pays for the damage to my car after hitting a deer?
Under most Michigan policies, hitting a deer is covered by comprehensive coverage, not collision. If you swerved to miss the deer and hit something else, such as a tree, guardrail or another car, the damage is usually treated as a collision claim instead. If you carry neither, the damage is generally yours to pay.
Can I sue anyone after a deer crash?
Only if another driver helped cause it. If you stopped for a deer and were rear-ended, or another driver swerved into you, you may have a claim against that driver for pain and suffering if your injury meets Michigan’s serious impairment threshold. A crash with only you and a deer leaves no one to sue, but your no-fault benefits still apply.
I was on a motorcycle and hit a deer. Am I covered?
Generally not by no-fault. Michigan PIP covers a motorcyclist only when a car or truck is involved. With no car involved, your care is paid by the medical coverage on your motorcycle policy, if you bought it, and your health insurance.
