When a dog hurts someone, the owner may be held liable for the damages caused. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 4.7 million people are bitten or attacked by dogs each year, usually children. Dog owners have a legal responsibility to prevent their pets from hurting people or damaging property. Therefore, when a dog bites someone, the owner may have to reimburse the victim for medical expenses, time lost at work, and pain and suffering.
Dog owner's liability insurance (usually a homeowners or renters policy) can cover the cost, even if the injury occurs outside the owner's property.Most states limit strict liability to dogs, but Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii and Illinois extend liability to other animals. Most states enforce strict liability for all types of injuries or property damage, while others limit it to dog bites only (about eight states only cover dog bites). The Places Included column is significant because some states exclude bites that occur on the dog owner's property. Many states have enacted dog bite laws that create a form of strict liability for dog bites.
Strict liability means that the defendant is liable if a certain event occurs, regardless of whether the defendant could have done anything to prevent the event.The first thing we need to consider in a dog bite case on your property is the responsibility of the premises. When a person enters your property, they have a reasonable expectation that they will not be injured. This is known as the standard of care. A landlord owes a certain level of care to anyone on his property.
It's pretty fair, isn't it? This means that the owner or occupant of the property, such as a tenant, must maintain a relatively safe environment for all persons entering the premises.This includes keeping potentially dangerous animals away from hosts or making sure to put warning signs about the animal's propensities. The owner is liable if the victim of the bite was “legally in a private place, or in a public place” when the dog bite occurred. The pet sitter may be considered the negligent party, especially if the pet sitter failed to take reasonable steps to control a vicious or dangerous animal.However, this may change if the person is going through a specific seat service, such as Wag or Rover, which have their own rules and policies, as described below. Owner of the dog liable if the injured person was on public property or was legally on private property, and the injured person did not cause the dog to bite.
Depending on the situation and state law, other owners may be liable for injuries caused by dogs they have allowed on their property.The short answer is yes, often the company can be held liable if the dog bites, although California law is stricter than most when it comes to owner liability. Even so, state laws with strict liability statutes are easier to litigate in dog bite injury cases, since proving negligence is not necessary if the dog bit you, the owner is considered negligent.This table includes laws that impose strict liability for dogs running free (including Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia). If proven, the owner is only liable for the actual expenses incurred by the person bitten or injured as a result of the bite or injury. The owner is strictly responsible if the dog is at large, that is, without a leash in a public space or is not under the control of the owner.The dog owner will be liable for the victim's bite injuries if he knew (or had reason to know) of his dog's dangerous propensities.
The dog owner will be liable if the victim can prove that the owner had knowledge of the dog's dangerous propensities, was negligent, a leash law was violated, or that the owner caused the injury.When someone other than the owner of a dog faces a lawsuit for injuries caused by the animal, the question of liability will depend on local statutes, how state courts interpret those laws and particular circumstances involved. For example, Oklahoma's strict liability statute on dog bites does not define that an owner includes caretaker of a dog.The owner of a dog used by law enforcement agency is not responsible for damage caused by animal to crime suspect while dog performs law enforcement functions. Please note that in strict liability states (especially those where exceptions may make rules difficult to resolve), a dog owner can always be held liable if injuries are result of owner's negligence.Because courts in Illinois have recognized that all dogs have tendency to bite children, victim did not have to prove that owner knew this dog had bitten someone before.
