According to the joint press service of Kamchatka Krai’s courts, the accident took place near the village of Pushchino. A man driving a Toyota Corolla Axio hit an animal that was crossing the road. The cow’s owner had violated traffic regulations by moving livestock across the road at night in an area not designated for crossing.

The cow was not seriously hurt in the incident—it fell after the impact but immediately got back on its feet and continued on its way. The damage to the vehicle, however, was assessed at nearly 419,000 rubles.

The Toyota driver filed a lawsuit with the Vilyuchinsk City Court, seeking to recover the cost of the damage, as well as court costs for appraisal services and state fees from the cow’s owner.

The trial court dismissed the claim, placing the blame on the plaintiff for failing to choose a safe speed given the twilight conditions and road visibility, which prevented him from spotting the animal in time.

The plaintiff disagreed with the ruling and appealed to the Kamchatka Krai Court. In his appeal, he argued that the accident occurred because the animal’s owner had broken traffic rules, and he requested the lower court’s decision be overturned and his claim fully granted.

After reviewing the case materials, the Civil Division of the Kamchatka Krai Court reached the following conclusions. The driver should indeed have selected a safe speed that would have allowed him to see the obstacle on the road in time and take action to avoid a collision, which he failed to do.

At the same time, the cow’s owner should have moved the animal only during daylight hours and exclusively at a designated crossing point.

Thus, the collision between the car and the animal was equally the fault of both the plaintiff and the defendant. Therefore, responsibility for the resulting damage is shared equally—50 percent for each party.

The Civil Division of the regional court overturned the lower court’s decision and partially granted the claim. As a result, the owner of the struck cow will pay the driver half of the claimed amount, which comes to nearly 222,000 rubles.