Equine Law Blog
What happens when people give veterinary or legal advice online – but they’re not even veterinarians or lawyers? In the horse industry, this is a surprisingly common occurrence.
Learn more by reading a new Horse Illustrated article on the subject, quoting our own Julie Fershtman: horseillustrated.com/veterinary-advice-online.
When Sam was about to leave for a weekend horse show, he discovered that his horse trailer had a broken tail light. Realizing that the problem could not be repaired in time, he asked his neighbor, Jo, to borrow her trailer. She agreed. Within minutes, Sam hitched his truck to Jo’s trailer, unaware that her trailer’s tongue ball socket and his truck’s hitch ball were not compatible – Jo‘s trailer required a hitch with a wider ball. Later, while Bill drove down the highway, the trailer broke away from his truck, injuring his horses, breaking a fence, injuring motorists, and destroying Ann’s trailer.
Lending your trailer may seem to be a simple and friendly accommodation, but accidents can occur and the risk of liability is always present. Insurance issues add to the complexity. Never assume that everyone’s insurance policies protect them against the worst case scenario.
