DogBiteAccidentLawyer.com

What are a Dog Owner’s Responsibilities?

Dog owners have a responsibility to keep their dogs from biting people or other dogs. Any dog can hurt someone, whether it is a miniature toy dog or a huge Great Dane. Most dog bites are inflicted by dogs that belong to the victim’s friends or family. And just because a dog is gentle, small, old, or trustworthy, dog owners must maintain a certain degree of watchfulness with their dogs to avoid the injury of others. And while your cute little Yorkie may not scare you when it comes tearing around the corner of the fence at full bark, it might easily scare a passerby, causing them to fall, and leaving you liable for the cost of an emergency room visit and time lost from work.

In most states, dog bite statutes hold the owner of a biting dog responsible for any damages that it inflicts on people or other animals. Other states have what is called a “one bite” rule, which means that the owner may not be held liable if there was no evidence that the dog would bite. Local ordinances may supersede state laws and statutes. A Dog Bite Lawyer can help you determine if you are liable for injuries if your dog has bitten someone, or to establish liability against the dog owner if you or someone you love has been bitten.

Preventing liability is the best way to avoid liability, obviously. Averting incidents that might cause you to be held liable is the best course of action for any dog owner. Keep your liability in check and prevent dog bites by:

• Keeping a close eye on your dog around children. Around half of all reported bites are bites to children younger than twelve. Children may unwittingly provoke a dog. Never, ever allow your dog to be alone with an infant or a toddler, even if you trust the dog completely. If you allow your dog to roam around your gated yard, be sure that the gate to the yard is child-proof so that a child doesn’t wonder in and get bitten.
• Keeping the dog out of the path of strangers. Don’t rely on your fenced-in yard to keep strangers out. The postman or door-to-door salesman may just open the gate and walk right up to the door.
• Keeping your dog restrained inside your home or within your gated property. Never allow your dog to roam free in the neighborhood. This creates liability issues and can be dangerous for your dog, too. Allowing your dog to run at large also opens you up to liability in states where you might not normally be held liable.
• Making sure the dog’s vaccinations are up to date. The bite of a vaccinated dog may be much less of a problem than the bite of one that is not.
• Training your dog and allow your dog to “socialize”. Expose your dog to a lot of different people and different situations when it is a puppy.
• Warning others about your dog with warning signs.

If your dog has bitten someone or caused property damage, a qualified and seasoned Dog Bite Lawyer can help you determine if you are liable for the injury or damage. Inversely, if you or your loved one has been bitten by a dog, you may be entitled to file a claim against its owner. Contact DogBiteAccidentLawyer.Com now to discuss your case. You may be entitled to the cost of medical treatment, pain and suffering, lost wages, and mental anguish. Consultation with a Dog Bite Lawyer is free and confidential.