Making a claim for an animal bite will involve you making a claim against the animal owner’s homeowner’s insurance carrier. Here are the rules you need to know to determine whether you may have a case:
- There is no “one bite rule.” Some folks think a dog gets “one free bite” before they can be held responsible. Not so. If a person has knowledge that their dog can be dangerous or a threat to others, then that person can be held legally accountable.
- “Vicious breeds.” Even if an owner has no prior knowledge of a dog’s bad behavior, the owner can still be legally accountable for injury if the dog is one classified as a “vicious breed.” These include breeds such as the Pit Bull, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Chow, Doberman, etc. Admittedly, I don’t believe this is fair because dangerous dogs should be singled out, not an entire breed being unfairly classified as a whole. It is the law nevertheless.
- “On your property.” An owner is liable for the injuries caused by their dog to a person who is lawfully on their property regardless of whether there has been any previous knowledge of dangerous tendencies, and regardless of whether the dog is a “vicious breed” – as long as the dog was not provoked.
Animal/Dog Bite Injuries/Death
As you might expect, most of the animal bite cases I’ve handled for injured folks involve dogs. I love dogs like the next person, but the truth is dogs will bite, and when they do, they can cause serious injury. I have personal experience with this. There is a nice scar on my face to prove it. My bite was deserved because the dog was simply protecting its owner. Bar far, the most common dog bite cases I have handled involve injuries to children. A permanent scar from an animal bite on a child’s face or body that could have been prevented is a very serious matter. In addition, the emotional trauma a child suffers from being helplessly attacked also causes permanent scars. Photographs that I have viewed showing mauled children allow me to have no problem holding an owner accountable for their dog’s actions.
Animal/Dog Bite Injuries/Death
As you might expect, most of the animal bite cases I’ve handled for injured folks involve dogs. I love dogs like the next person, but the truth is dogs will bite, and when they do, they can cause serious injury. I have personal experience with this. There is a nice scar on my face to prove it. My bite was deserved because the dog was simply protecting its owner. Bar far, the most common dog bite cases I have handled involve injuries to children. A permanent scar from an animal bite on a child’s face or body that could have been prevented is a very serious matter. In addition, the emotional trauma a child suffers from being helplessly attacked also causes permanent scars. Photographs that I have viewed showing mauled children allow me to have no problem holding an owner accountable for their dog’s actions.
Making a claim for an animal bite will involve you making a claim against the animal owner’s homeowner’s insurance carrier. Here are the rules you need to know to determine whether you may have a case:
- There is no “one bite rule.” Some folks think a dog gets “one free bite” before they can be held responsible. Not so. If a person has knowledge that their dog can be dangerous or a threat to others, then that person can be held legally accountable.
- “Vicious breeds.” Even if an owner has no prior knowledge of a dog’s bad behavior, the owner can still be legally accountable for injury if the dog is one classified as a “vicious breed.” These include breeds such as the Pit Bull, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Chow, Doberman, etc. Admittedly, I don’t believe this is fair because dangerous dogs should be singled out, not an entire breed being unfairly classified as a whole. It is the law nevertheless.
- “On your property.” An owner is liable for the injuries caused by their dog to a person who is lawfully on their property regardless of whether there has been any previous knowledge of dangerous tendencies, and regardless of whether the dog is a “vicious breed” – as long as the dog was not provoked.
The owners of vicious or dangerous animals, or of dogs which belong to vicious breeds, should take the appropriate steps to prevent their animals from hurting other people. That’s just being a responsible pet owner. If you not going to be a responsible pet owner, then you deserve to be held accountable for your actions.
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