This means the owner or occupier of the property, such as a renter, must maintain a relatively safe environment for all persons entering the premises. First, decide if you want to take any action at all. When a person enters your property they have a reasonable expectation they will not be injured. So when my brother went to open the door my dog went out with him. For instance, Florida’s dog bite statute only allows persons to sue the owner or occupier if they are bitten by a dog and that person is in a public place or lawfully in a private place. Dog owners can be held liable for dog-bite injuries if they knew the dog was likely to cause that type of … We have provided links to these sites for information that may be of interest to you. I said there are other dogs out here. Or what about if your dog bites your neighbor — are you liable for any injuries? In this case, it’s important that you leave the area immediately. Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select, Please enter a legal issue and/or a location. For terms, benefits or exclusions, contact us. Please try again. ). ! Answer. I feel so badly for your neighbor as a cyclist, and horribly for you as a dog … THE NEIGHBOR STOOD WATCHING, and never intervened or tried to help in any way. In the past a minor dog (or cat) bite might have resulted in an argument with a neighbor or a small cash settlement with a stranger. For discussion only - As a practical matter, if your dog bites someone you are responsible for the damages. But what happens if a dog bites someone on your property? Now my neighbor is all freaked out about rabies. The owner of the dog getting bit may be upset,and rightly so, since dog bites inflicted on another dog can be very traumatic and even cause death if left untreated. You may find it shocking to know that the law in a minority of states actually allows trespassers who are bitten by your dog on your property to bring a lawsuit. Q: Do I have a claim if I went to a house to perform work, and was bitten by the property-owner's dog? You could receive a bigger settlement if you go this route — but that’s not guaranteed. If you suffered a more serious injury on the other hand, you could ask the neighbor to voluntarily compensate you. If someone was on your property without permission and was injured by your dog, contact an experienced Joplin personal injury lawyer at the Cottrell Law Office either online or by calling our toll free number (800) 364-8305. The neighbor’s dog has May, 2020: Our neighbor had people visiting, and they were about to leave, and my dog heard them talking loudly and ran outside. Search, How to Prove Fault in States Without Dog Bite Laws, Amended Complaint for Negligence and Wrongful Death, Complaint for Personal Injury - Slip and Fall, Negligence and Personal Injury Questionnaire, Emotional Distress, Privacy, and Dignitary Torts. 1997).) Conversely, if you were bitten by a dog on someone else's property, you may be able to recover damages from the property owner. When you speak with your neighbor, tell him or her you can not be responsible for injuries your dog may inflict upon their dog if their dog continues to trespass. Compensation for your injury could include costs for: If your neighbor won’t willingly cover these costs and you want to pursue legal action, contact an attorney who regularly handles dog-bite lawsuits. We recommend using Here’s what you need to know. What was written back in the times of great lords and ladies still holds true today. Visit our professional site », Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors The first thing we should look at in a dog bite case on your property is premises liability. Running away from a dog, even if it's during play, can provoke it to bite. Ultimately, with very few exceptions, a dog owner is not responsible for a dog bite to a trespasser. It's this simple: Dogs can and will bite. Generally, there are three types of dog-related liability laws: Check your state’s laws to see which statutes are in place to find out how much responsibility dog owners have if their dog causes harm. She put her face over the fence and my dog bit her. For example, if your neighbor's child poked your dog with a stick through the fence repeatedly just prior to being bitten, you'll need to find a way to keep the child from doing this again. I tried to shoo it out of my yard and it bit my hand, causing it to bleed, and also knocking me off my feet, causing tendon damage in my knee. This is known as the "standard of care." Publications and articles are provided as educational material only. What could happen to the dog who bit me or who bit my child? There is a very fine line between coaching the child to leave the dog alone and blaming the child for the bite your dog inflicted. (the original bite t … read more Ct. Before taking any legal action, talk with an attorney to determine the best course of action for your specific situation. Usually, your homeowner’s insurance does not cover injuries to a worker that you hired to do repairs on your home. "The owner of any dog that bites any person while such person is on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, is liable for damages suffered by persons bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owners' knowledge of such viciousness. Ultimately, if you have neither of these, you can be held personally liable if you lose a lawsuit against an injured party. ARAG is not responsible for the legality or accuracy of the information contained therein, or for any costs incurred while using this site. If it is already too late, act quickly to mitigate the situation, as your rights (and your dog's life) may depend on it. Simply put, a person is not lawfully in a private place if they are trespassing, attempting to commit a burglary, or other criminal offense.