Under the negligence doctrine, a dog’s owner can be held liable for injuries caused by the animal. If a dog owner is careless in handling the pet, they are legally responsible for injuries that could be foreseen. Here, you will find some examples of negligent acts, and you will learn how Dog Bite Lawyers in Long Island NY can help in dog bite cases.
Negligent Acts by a Dog Owner
General rules are useless in the definition of negligence. Whether a person acted negligently is a question answerable only through analysis of the facts of the case. If a dog owner fails to act reasonably, they are negligent. Below are some examples of negligence:
* A dog is chained in the front yard, with a “beware of dog” sign on the fence. A passerby gets bitten, and the owner is found not negligent because posting signs and confining the animal are reasonable precautions.
* A guest falls down the stairs because a dog frightens them. The dog was in a kennel at the time. Here, the dog owner wasn’t negligent because they took precautions.
* A dog owner lets the animal loose, and a passerby gets attacked. A jury would find the animal’s owner negligent because precautions weren’t taken.
It’s possible for a dog’s owner to be found negligent if they fail to keep a specific breed of dog from causing injuries. In one case, the court ruled that a Rottweiler’s owner was responsible for an attack, even though they didn’t know the dog could be dangerous. Professional Dog Bite Attorneys in Long Island Neywork (NY) can help injured parties, and they can also defend dog owners in court.
Law Violations can Prove Negligence
If a dog’s owner breaks the law, and that violation causes an injury, the owner can be held liable. In these cases, the Law Office of Matthew Glassman Long Island NY can win a suit by proving that the dog owner broke the law. The most common example: A dog owner lets their pet roam freely, in violation of leash laws, and the dog bites someone.
Negligence-based dog bite claims aren’t allowed in every state. For example, in NY, the only way a dog owner could be held liable is if they knew the dog was dangerous. Here, negligence cannot be used as a way to impose liability. For help in a dog bite case, consult with Dog Bite Lawyers in Long Island NY as soon as possible. Click here for more information.
