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Utah committee backs bill creating rebuttable presumption that motorists bear liability in open-range livestock collisions
Summary
The Senate Transportation Committee gave a unanimous favorable recommendation to a substitute version of Senate Bill 113, which would create a rebuttable presumption that motorists — rather than livestock owners — are liable for collisions with animals in defined open-range areas.
The Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Standing Committee unanimously recommended a substitute version of Senate Bill 113 on a motion to pass the bill out favorably to the Senate floor.
The bill, introduced by Senator Sandel, would add a rebuttable presumption in civil actions that collisions with domestic livestock in defined “open range” areas are the motorist’s liability unless the livestock owner rebuts the presumption. The sponsor told the committee the change is intended to address confusion among insurers and to limit disputes over whether an owner was negligent when animals are accustomed to crossing public highways.
The billmaker said the current code (lines 31–33 in the draft bill) does not impose a presumption and that…
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