Years ago, someone opened up two gates that led to my horses
pasture in Santa Rosa, CA. My two
horses got out, it was an incredibly foggy coastal night and one of my horses
was hit & killed, along with the foal she was carrying (6 mos). Fortunately, no one was injured. When I asked about
liability, I was told that as an owner I would not be liable unless there was
gross negligence on my part. Possibly, in this case, whoever had opened the
gates could have been held liable. All I wanted to do was forget about it, I
couldn’t drive by the spot for weeks.
Kathy
I think this varies by state .....
In VA its considered the same as a
deer. Owner is blameless, except of course, in cases of gross negligence.
(gate left open, fence in poor condition)
