Whether they are your dog, someone else's dog, or a dog that you may encounter with their owner on the street, canines are a favored companion. However, when there is an incident that involves a dog bite, you may be wondering what happens now. Let's say you were visiting a friend's house or a relative, and their dog attacked you. Of course, this could create some tension between you and your friends or family, but the intention would be to make sure that you get the medical care you need to recover from injury. Because of the discomfort involved with this situation, sometimes a lawyer's assistance is needed. When a dog bites you in someone else's home, that could become a premises liability case.

Dog Attack

A Traumatic Experience

Being bitten by any kind of animal is probably going to be a traumatic experience. Victims of aggression from any species may deal with some mental anguish as well. If you were recently bitten by a dog, then you may be terrified to interact with a dog ever again. The impacts of a canine attack go far beyond just the injury itself. Those who have been traumatized in a dog bite incident could be owed compensation by law for what they have endured. For this reason, it is a wise choice to consult with a premises liability lawyer if at the very least to learn about what your options are and if you are eligible for compensation from the owner at fault.

Dog Owner's Duty of Care

It is important to know that dog owners have a duty of care to the public to keep their animal from harming others. Dog bite incidents can become premises liability cases if a dog owner failed to prevent a person from being bitten while in their home. A dog owner may have to pay for the victims medical bills, loss of wages, damage to any property, and other types of loss. if the owner of the dog is a friend or family member of yours, this would understandably be an awkward situation. But as our friends at Cohen & Cohen would agree, your health should be the priority. The owner should be willing to pay you for what you have gone through because of their animal's behavior.

Exceptions to the Rule

There are some factors that would make a dog bite incident void in the perspective of the law. For instance, if someone was trespassing on another's property and was not allowed to be there, and they were bitten by a dog because of it, then the dog owner might not be liable for any damages. Another exception could be if someone was visiting another person's property, but had instigated or abused an animal which had led to them attacking. Animals may react aggressively if intimidated, harmed, cornered, or to protect someone else. Before victims consider filing a case against a dog owner, it is encouraged that they assess their own interactions with the animal and ask themselves if it was them that caused the dog to react in this way.