Is A Dog’s Owner Responsible For Its Bite?

Most of the time, YES, a dog’s owner can be held responsible if their dog bites you. However, the local laws and circumstances under which you were bitten can affect the specifics as a personal injury lawyer can share. In general, dog owners are expected to take reasonable precautions to prevent their dogs from biting others.  Reasonable precautions may include things such as properly restraining the dog, training the dog to behave appropriately, and ensuring the dog is up-to-date on its vaccinations.

If you have been bitten by a dog that is not yours, it is important to gather as much information as possible about the incident.  You should try to get as much information about the dog, such as its breed, color, and identifying marks.  You should attempt to get the dog owner’s contact information and the dog’s vaccination history from the owner, especially if you are looking to be compensated for any medical bills incurred in the treatment of the dog bite. You should also get the contact information of any witnesses as our friends at Kiefer & Kiefer would recommend.

Whether or not the dog owner’s insurance will compensate you for your injuries due to the dog bite depends on the type of insurance policy and the specific circumstances of the incident.

The dog owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance may provide coverage for you.  Most standard homeowner’s and renter’s insurance policies provide coverage for dog bites and other incidents of liability involving the homeowner’s pets. The homeowner’s or renter’s policy should provide coverage for your medical expenses and legal fees should you have to retain an attorney.  However, there could be a limit as to how much the policy would cover, and it could be excluded altogether.  Some homeowner’s and renter’s policies exclude certain breeds of dogs from coverage (such as pit bulls) or charge higher premiums due to their perceived risk of aggression.

Another type of insurance that may provide coverage should you be bitten by someone else’s dog is umbrella insurance.  Umbrella insurance is an additional type of liability insurance that provides extra protection beyond the dog owner’s limits of their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. If the dog owner has an umbrella insurance policy, it may provide coverage for dog bites and other liability incidents that exceed the limits of their primary insurance coverage.  In addition, you may be able to file a claim with your own umbrella insurance carrier if you are bitten by another person’s dog and any other primary insurance policy is exhausted.

The final type of insurance that may provide coverage if you get bitten by someone else’s dog is pet insurance.  While most pet insurance policies generally only cover veterinary expenses for injuries or illnesses suffered by the offending dog, some pet insurance policies may also provide coverage for liability claims related to dog bites. However, coverage for liability provided by the pet insurance policy may be more limited than a homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy.

In sum, it is important to track down the owner of the offending dog and get as much information about the owner and the owner’s dog so that you can be compensated for your injuries caused by the dog if necessary, and to help ensure the safety of the public. Then, you should contact an attorney to represent your case.