Personal Injury LawyerPersonal Injury Lawyer

If you ask most people, they would say that they love dogs, whether they have a few of their own or enjoy visiting friends and family who have dogs. While dogs can be fantastic and loyal companions, there are some instances where dogs are not taken care of, loved, and trained properly. When this is the case, these dogs are more likely to bite, attack, or become aggressive with other animals, their owners, or other people. In fact, even a dog who is normally very loving and affectionate may become irritated by a situation and feel the need to attack or lash out. If you have been injured because a dog attacked you, you may be put into a situation where you are not only recovering from very serious physical injuries, but you may also have emotional injuries as well. It can be hard to be near a dog or even other similar animals after a vicious attack. When this is the case, you should consider filing an injury claim with the help of a lawyer. 

What do you need to prove when it comes to a dog bite? 

Although it can vary by state regarding what you will need to show when it comes to how the dog attack started, a lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer from a law firm like Barry P. Goldberg, can help you with your claim. With a dog bite claim, you will typically need to prove that: 

  • The owner of the dog had a duty of care to ensure the dog did not hurt someone else
  • The owner did not meet this duty and they were negligent
  • Because the owner was negligent, the dog caused harm or injured you

While the elements of a dog bite case are similar to those of other personal injury cases, it can still change how your case goes depending on which state you live in. 

What does it mean for the owner to have “reasonable care”? 

For a dog owner to have reasonable care, it means that the owner is taking necessary precautions for their dog. For example, a dog owner who keeps their dog behind a locked gate or keeps their dog put away in a separate room when guests come over would likely be shown as taking reasonable care. If, however, a dog owner knows that their dog can tend toward violence or aggression and does not have signs, does not warn guests, and does not reasonably restrain the dog when guests come over, it is likely that the owner will be found negligent. 

If you are recovering from a dog attack and would like to file a legal claim, reach out to a local law firm. You should not have to go through this ordeal alone.