Dogs are man’s best friend. We welcome them into our homes to be our companions. As the years go by, the get used to a schedule that we have established with them. This can include morning walks and afternoons at the dog park. It might include interactions with other dogs as well. It should include some form of training for our dogs as well. Dogs need to be trained for a variety of reasons. They need to be trained so that they do not urinate in the house and that they are on a walk schedule. Their training should also include behavioral training. This can be useful to teach them how they should be acting on a normal basis. They should not be acting in an aggressive manner that could potentially harm another individual. This can lead to an injury and a legal situation.
When your pet attacks another individual, you may be held liable for this accident and the injuries that the individual suffered from. Although you may have trained your dog to the best of your ability, accidents can happen where the dog acts out of character. This may still lead to someone seeking legal action against you on behalf of your dog’s actions. However, there may be certain situations where you are not held liable. If the dog was provoked or the injured individual trespassed onto your property, they may not be able to seek legal action against you. But if the dog was known to have a previous history of aggressive behavior, this can be used to prove that you should be held liable for the dog’s attack on the injured individual.
Can I gain damages?
For dog bite cases, you may be able to recover compensation. This compensation can cover the cost of medical bills that the injured individual had to pay to cover their doctor’s visit from the dog’s attack. This can be useful for them since they will not have to pay out of pocket for this bill. Instead, the liable party will be responsible for covering the cost of these bills. Damages for emotional trauma may also be sought in more serious cases where a dog was known to have a history of aggressive behavior that could have been deemed dangerous to others.
Our firm understands how serious criminal and personal injury cases are. We are prepared to guide you towards a favorable outcome. If you are in need of experienced legal counsel in New Jersey, please contact The Law Office of Andrew S. Maze today for any criminal and personal injury matters.