Dog Bite Lawyer
If you have recently been harmed as a result of a dog bite – and you don’t own the dog that bit you – you are likely in a strong position to pursue compensation from the dog’s owner. Even if the dog’s owner isn’t in a strong financial position, you shouldn’t be deterred from taking action. Why? Most of the time, it is either a dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance policy or their renter’s insurance policy that is responsible for reimbursing injury victims for harm caused by a policyholder’s dog. As a result, you can seek compensation without being concerned that you’re unduly burdening the dog owner financially speaking.
“But I don’t even know if I have a case to make,” you may be saying. This is understandable. After all, the law is complicated and those who are most deserving of compensation are often denied their due as a result of some legal loophole or another. Thankfully, New York does a very decent job of protecting the rights of dog bite injury victims.
What Does the Law Say?
As an experienced dog bite lawyer can explain in greater detail, New York is known as a “mixed state” when it comes to dog bite law. This means that state law employs a hybrid approach that features some “one bite” language and some protections afforded by a “strict liability” position.
Most of the time, states are either categorized as “one bite” states or as “strict liability” states. One bite states favor the rights of dog owners. In these states, it is difficult for injury victims to secure compensation unless the dog that bit them was previously known to be vicious. By contrast, strict liability states favor the rights of victims. In these states, it doesn’t matter whether an animal was known to be vicious or not. If an animal bites someone, that animal’s owner is liable for the resulting harm.
In New York, state law both employs reasonable protections for truly innocent pet owners and significant protections for those who suffer harm due to bites that could and should have been prevented. As a result, it is generally well worth the time and effort of injury victims to research their rights and to speak with an attorney about pursuing any and all compensation to which they are rightfully entitled.
A Word About Work-Related Dog Bites
Note that if you suffered an injury while delivering mail, groceries, takeout, or engaging in any other work-related activities, you will want to alert your lawyer to that fact immediately. In addition to personal injury damages, you may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits as a result of your harm. Workers’ comp is one of the most time-sensitive legal processes affecting the lives of Americans today, so don’t wait to explore this option. If you fail to take certain steps within even a few days, you may be barred from seeking this form of compensation.
