A Look At Dog Bites And The Compensation Given To A Victim
Dog bites are a very frequent injury. Every year, thousands of Americans suffer from animal bites, especially the dog bites from either neighborhood pets or strays.
Who Is Responsible For a Dog Bite?
The first thing you need to do after a dog bite is to seek appropriate medical attention. Once the medical attention is received, one needs to look at who exactly is responsible for a dog bite.
Dog bite laws vary from state to state. Some states rule that the owner of the dog itself has complete responsibility for the dog. This means that even if the owner had no prior knowledge that the dog was dangerous, they are still liable for all the damages the dog might cause. Other states rule that the owner is only responsible for the injuries that their dog causes, even if they had prior knowledge of the dog being dangerous.
Other Responsible Parties
Besides animal owners, there are several other parties that might be held responsible for a dog bite.
- Animal Keepers: Anyone responsible for the care of the animal, such as kennels or pounds or an animal sitter might be held liable for damages caused by a dog bite.
- Parents of Minors: If the dog in question belongs to a person who hasn’t reached eighteen years of age (meaning the kid is a minor), then the parents of the minor are legally responsible for the damages caused.
- Property Owners and Landlords: If the property owner or the landlord were aware that the dog on their property was dangerous, then they might be held liable for any harm that was caused.
What If the Dog Was Responsible of Biting Someone?
If you are the dog owner and it’s your dog that has caused the damages, then there are still a number of defenses you can claim, to show that you are not liable for the damages you might have caused.
If the dog owner warned other people that the animal was dangerous, or took adequate measures to make sure that the animal was kept away from other people, then he may not be held liable. Similarly if the victim was negligent, and ignored the warnings of the owner, then the victim himself assumes the risk, because he was irresponsible, when it came to taking care of himself, and not taking measures, which reasonably sane person would have taken.
Getting the Help You Need
Regardless of whether you were the victim or the owner of the dog that caused the injury, you need to consider getting help to avoid potential legal hassles. Dog Laws vary from state to state and it can become complicated to understand exactly how to go about seeking appropriate compensation, or defending yourself and establishing who is liable.
Such instances often require attorneys who have experience dealing with such laws, so that you can aptly defend yourself or seek the just amount of compensation that you deserve.
You can find a dedicated San Diego dog bite lawyer to handle your case, if you are a resident in San Diego. They can help you through the procedure that involves in such dog bit cases.
