What To Know About Dog Bite Cases
Dogs are our beloved pets who we hate to see upset but when something goes wrong and a loved one ends up hurt, it’s heartbreaking. Everyone hopes they will never be in a situation that includes being injured by a dog or having your dear pet hurt a person or another dog but it is good to be informed in case anything were to happen.
Before getting into the specifics and the process of a dog bite injury case, it is important to clarify what constitutes a dog bite case. According to a dog bite lawyer, dog bite injuries that can qualify for compensation can be an injury from a dog to another dog or to a person. There is a range of injuries that can come from a dog bite whether that be a small cute or life altering injuries. Other than the injury itself, bacterial infections are commonly contracted from dog bites and can cause even more problems. You can be entitled to compensation for your injuries and you’ll need to know who is held liable for your injury. The dog’s owner or caretaker could be held liable or even a landlord for the property that you were injured on may be responsible for your injury.
Who Is At Fault?
Determining who is at fault will depend on the situation and what happened to lead to injury as our friends at the Brandy Austin Law Firm know all too well. The dog’s owner may be responsible if the injury occurred on the owner’s property such as if they were at the owner’s house. In the event that the dog bit someone while on a walk, whoever’s walking the dog can be held liable and that might not always be the owner as that could be a relative or friend of the owner or even a dog walker that is only taking care of the dog temporarily. The property owner, even if they are not the dog owner, could be responsible if they allowed a dog to be on the property or knew that the dog had a history of injuring others.
How Do I Know If I Can File A Claim?
You can file a claim if you are able to prove negligence or strict liability in your situation. In order for you or your lawyer to prove negligence you will have to prove that the person in possession of the dog at that time failed to use reasonable care to prevent injury to you or anyone else. This could be failure to keep the dog on a leash or some kind of restraint, failing to properly train the dog or even failure to intervene during the attack. If the person in possession of the dog has them properly restrained but isn’t paying attention and the dog is able to injure someone then they could still be held liable. Strict liability claims are for when the owner or caretaker of the dog is aware that they have a history of hurting others and fails to prevent it from happening again. If you were to file this claim you or your lawyer would need to prove that the owner was aware of their dog’s aggressive behavior in the past.
Personal injury claims such as dog bites can become difficult to navigate but with the help of a personal injury attorney they can help ensure you will receive the compensation you deserve for the pain caused to you, your loved one, or your pet. The journey to healing may be a long one in some cases but your attorney can help lift the work of the claim off your shoulders. Contact a lawyer near you for help today.
Note: The information provided in this blog post about injury car accidents in Los Angeles is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.
Disclaimer: No attorney-client relationship is established by accessing or using this information. Readers should consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to their situation. The authors make no representations regarding the accuracy or suitability of the information provided and disclaim any liability for reliance on it. Laws and regulations may vary and are subject to change.