Legal Recourse for Dog Attacks
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If you’ve recently been injured in a dog attack, you’re probably wondering who is responsible. Dog bites and other injuries can become complicated. Because you can’t technically hold the dog legally responsible for their actions, you may be feeling at a loss. However, you still may have a legitimate personal injury case on your hands.
If you want to develop a successful dog attack claim in the state of New York, you need to first understand the law surrounding dog bites and other injuries.
New York Law on Dog Attacks
In the state of New York, the owner of an animal is responsible for their actions. This means that if you’re attacked by a dog, you can hold their owner legally responsible for your injuries. However, there are some situations where this law may not apply.
If the animal has never attacked anyone before, then the owner is only responsible for medical bills associated with the attack. Individuals injured by an animal who has not attacked before cannot seek compensation for pain and suffering from the owner.
If someone injured by an animal would like to push for pain and suffering compensation or other noneconomic damages, they must prove that the owner of the animal know the dog was dangerous. This may be proven through collecting evidence related to the breed of the dog, the victim’s injuries, the animal’s past behavior, or other indications that may signal the owner knew the dog was capable of an attack.
An owner of an animal may not be responsible for their dog’s actions if the dog was acting in defense. However, the owner must be able to prove the dog attacked or bit the victim as a result of self-defense or defense of the owner.
If you’ve recently been injured by a dog or your dog has injured someone else, you’ll want to work with an expert personal injury attorney. To help you collect the evidence you need to win your case, contact the legal team and Held & Hines, LLP at 718.531.9700 or 212.969.4LAW for a free consultation.
Posted in: Dog Injuries, Personal Injury
