Electric Fence Liabilities

[fishman]

<font color="blue"> Anyone had this happen with any animal? </font>

Not me personally, but about 10 years ago my grandpa had a cow get out on the highway. Somebody toasted it with a small Mazda car and messed it (the car) up pretty bad, and killed the cow. Resolution was that my grandpa bought the car for about 1500 bucks or about twice what it was worth before it's run-in with the cow. Case closed and the gal got her a newer, better car.

I doubt most would end that way, but everyone was o.k. with this outcome. My grandpa actually fixed the little car and used it in his fleet of beater cars he liked to keep around.

 

[Whiskey]

Roger:

I maybe way out of line here, but I think I would tell your pastor that kids are kids and parents are responable for them......another way to look at this is thoes are country kids and they know what hot wire is if they live in Mulberry, or you could ask him if you happoned to walk into a tree on the church's lot and got hurt would it be his fault??? OH, and buy the way I'm in Plant City and welcome to the site.

But then again how many times did my mom tell me that burners are hot and not to touch them...it only took one touch and I belived her!!!!

Funny world we live in now....seem's like a lot of folks out there are always looking for someone else to blame for there own wrong doings...go figure /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Whiskey

 

[PitbullMidwest]

<font color="blue"> ie your cow gets out because you didn't maintain the fence and is involved in a traffic accident... Anyone had this happen with any animal?</font>

Not with a fence but my sister's dog bolted out of their truck at a neighbor's llama farm (yep llamas in Iowa) and chased a llama out onto the highway and it was hit by a semi. They were financially responsible for both the llama and the damage to the truck. I would imagine that the liabilty would be the same if your lack of maintenance led to the llama entering the roadway.

 

[kensfarm]

I was coming home from work one day.. driving North bound on U.S. 15.. looked over on the Southbound lane.. a dozen or more young cattle running North on the Southbound lane.. cars swerving.. thought an 18 wheeler was going to hit one.. he swerved and ran into the medium. The next exit up just happened to be mine(the exits are just crossroads.. no ramps,bridges).. I drove to the crossing and stopped.. thought if I could just head them off the highway to the side road. Well I'm probably the first and only person that has used a 97 Firebird RamAir to herd cattle. I turned my lights & flashers on.. just as they approached the crossing.. I came out into the Southbound lane to cut them off.. honking and flashing the high beams.. it worked!.. they turned and ran up the side road. They then left the secondary road and hit a field going towards a neighborhood. Down the road a piece.. I found one man who knew the farmer.. showed him where they went.. and he drove off to go get the farmer.

I never did meet him.. but I was happy no one was hurt.. and his cattle were safe. Never thought I'd see something like that!

No matter how good your fences are.. it's hard to stop a determined "big animal" from going where they want to go. Most farmers I know are more than willing to pay any damage their livestock has caused. Never seen anyone hurt in their car by hitting one.. but I have seen a few people get flattened while trying to catch a young bull to be banded.

Tell those church kids.. just don't touch it w/ your tongue!

 

[Currmudgeon]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'd rather get zapped by the electric fence than snagged by an old rusty barb and then have to get a tetanus shot. )</font>

Ayep!

A couple of months ago, I was at a show, and some guy was selling sterling silver, imitation barbed wire jewlery.

I showed him the fresh bob-wahr scars on my hands and told him "No thanks. That strikes a little too close to home."

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[F350Lawman]

In Iowa and Idaho the fence lines are right on the property line. If you keep a fence line off the property line that fence line becomes the property line after 25 years.

Don't get the urge to put a fence in the middle of your property then' you could lose half yer' ranch! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Here it has to do with who maintains the property and all that adverse posession, "squaters rights" laws. For example I hop my fence to weed wack the other side several times a season. What I was saying was that in my area you can build things within 15' of the neighbors property. So as an example some people have fairly small property and if they had for instance a kids play area or swingset set back 15' from my lines I would not erect an electric fence right down my fence lines. I suppose I could tell them I was going to and suggest they move the swingset but I'd probbaly be more inclined to leave some buffer. I might even leave the wood on the line and run the electric a little inside.

Guess it depends on how I felt about the neighbors /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[bgott]

It depends on your state's stock law. Some states have laws that make the owner of the stock liable for damages. If you are in a state with an open range law the person who hits the animal is liable.

 

[Docsknotinn]

Sounds like your pastor needs to be put out to pasture /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Dave

 

[Docsknotinn]

Richard, I am a little confused about your liability statement. Are you saying the Electric Fence itself presents a additional liability or are you saying that you have Liability for your stock. It does not seem that adding fence would increase but decrease your liability. In most cases it would be necessary to prove negligence to collect damages. The greater your fence the better your defense. Also I am curious if you are carrying a specefic farm coverage or are you reffering to a umbrella policy ? Dave

 

[OkeeDon]

<font color="blue"> Well I'm probably the first and only person that has used a 97 Firebird RamAir to herd cattle. </font>

That's a good one! Back in the '70s, when I first moved to this area, the Sheriff ran some cows on leased land next to a feeder road. Well, they were always getting out, but everyone knew who owned them, so they'd just call 911, and some deputies would come down and round them up, flashing lights, sirens and all. That was back when the Sheriff was one of the Good Ol' Boys; it couldn't happen today; the area's grown too much.

 

[cowboydoc]

Everything is liability on a ranch. Fences, tractors, livestock, etc. I have a ranch policy that covers all of this. It's a specific policy for farming/ranching. I also have an additional umbrella over the whole place as well. Really they don't even have to prove negligence. Even if you aren't negligent things happen and you are liable.

 

[Docsknotinn]

Richard, yes I understand and agree, I am just wondering based on your experience though if you dont think a electric fence would limit your liability in general and not actually increase it. Dave

 

[RMEADOWS]

I did not realize this would be such a "hot" topic. I've talked this over with the Pastor and he just dosn't get it. He thinks that the hot wire will kill or mame a child..... I explained to him it is a pulse seperated by 3 secs and they can't be really hurt. It will sting like crazey when they get hit, but that's it.

I've put up my "No Tresspassing" and "Dager, Electric Fence" signs and will just hope for the best.

 

[cowboydoc]

From my experience I don't think it would make any difference either way.

 

[WVBill]

Is your pastor new to your church and rural life?

Talk about hearding cows with a truck, when we first built our house, the farmer next door leased out his field to graze cows in the field next to us. But the barbed wire fence is very old and has many breaks in it. We would frequently wake up in the morning with 4 or 5 cows grazing in our front yard. We didn't mind too much - it was quite a spectacle watching our 9-pound miniature Dachshund "heard" cows! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

On another occasion, I was heading to work down our country road and another farmer's heard of cows had gotten out and I met them face-to face. I did the same heard-with-a-truck routine and they turned and "ran" back into the field. What I discovered though is that cow's hooves do not apparently give them much traction on a a slightly damp blacktop road. Although I was going very slowly, the cows were slipping and falling. I was worried they would break a leg or something but they all got up OK.

 

[RMEADOWS]

Yes, and alergic to hay, horses and cows (I have all three!)

 

[bky]

well i will give my thoughts on this.
i think but i am not sure but arnt you supposed to mark your fence every so often stating that it is a electric fence? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif