Are dog bites taking a lot of share from the insurance companies?
According to the center of disease control, there are about 4.5 million dog bites every year. Most of these happen to children between five to nine years of age. The number of dog bites is increasing at a very high pace every year. For instance, dog bites increased by 8% from 2015 to 2016 in New Hampshire.
What are important elements in a dog bite case?
There are certain things that need to be assured if you want to file a dog bite case:
You need to prove that you are bitten or injured by a dog. You should make sure that you were not trespassing someone’s property. In that case, it becomes your personal fault, and your petition will be annulled. The dog bite will not be considered, and it will be considered an offense and violation of law that you were trespassing another person’s property. The dog bite, in this case, is the consequence of your own mistake.
You also need to ensure that you were not provoking the dog. Generally, the dogs are tamed, and they do not lose their temper very easily to bite a stranger. Unless a person is teasing them, the dogs do not cross their lines to bite anyone. If you are positive in assuring that it was not your mistake, the final step would be to verify that you have been actually affected by the dog’s attack. It is not a minor scratch or a fall you had after being chased by the dog. It is actually a wound or an injury for which you will need proper medical attention and care.
What are the types of laws associated with dog bites?
There are two types of laws concerned with dog bite cases. One is ‘’strict liability,’’ which means that if the dog bites, then the dog owner is liable. This is possible if you were not trespassing and you did not provoke the pet dog. The other law applicable in such cases is ‘’One-bite law’’. It states that you may not be able to recover against a dog owner unless the owner knows the dangerous propensities of the animal. Otherwise, the dog is allowed one bite before the owner is to be booked.
Is insurance of the dog owner necessary to claim a dog bite case?
Dog attacks can result in serious injuries, but not always. The most common injury which will definitely bring some weight to your case is a flesh wound, which may or may not require stitches. You need to find out if the owner of the dog has insurance. If there is no insurance, it will be very difficult to recover against the dog owner unless he or she has a lot of money or assets. To sue the dog owner for your injuries, it is important to know about the insurance status of the owner, otherwise claims become very challenging.