10/23/2026
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**Hit a deer? Here's what to do.**
Deer season is here, and we see the aftermath every year. A few things worth knowing before it happens to you:
**Do you need to report it to police?**
• **Damage under $5,000** — a police collision report generally isn't required based on damage alone.
• **Damage over $5,000** — you must report the collision to police as soon as possible.
• **Regardless of damage** — if anyone is injured, or there's damage to property like a road sign or guardrail, it must be reported.
**Where your vehicle goes matters.**
Your first instinct might be to have it towed straight to a body shop — but once it's there, there's pressure to have that shop do the repair, and it may not be the best place for the job. A vehicle sitting in a storage facility puts a clock on the insurance company: they're paying for every day it sits there, so they tend to deal with the claim quickly.
**Know your rights.**
You have the final say on which shop repairs your vehicle — not your insurance company, and not anyone else.
If it happens to you, don't hesitate to call us. We'll help you through it.
**J.M.S Automotive Ltd. — Mitchell, ON**
**(519) 348-8350**
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