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Fort Wayne Indiana Personal Injury Lawyer and Attorney Blog

Liability and Dog Attacks

INDIANA DOG BITE ATTACKS

Aggressive dogs can be a very costly and dangerous thing to own. Dog bites accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claim dollars paid out in 2012, costing nearly $490 million, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) and State Farm, the largest writer of homeowners insurance in the United States. Also, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were 27,752 reconstructive procedures to repair dog bites in 2012 and about 800,000 dog bites that require medical attention annually.

But who is liable if someone else’s dog bites you or a loved one? 

Normally, dog owners are held to a “negligence standard” in determining liability. This means that owners must take reasonable precautions to control the dog and protect others from harm. However, an owner who is aware of a dog’s violent propensities becomes strictly liable if the dog attacks. For example, if the animal previously bit a person, the owner is strictly liable for harm caused by the dog thereafter.

If you are bitten by another’s dog, you make entitled to compensation for your injuries.

Learn more about dog bites.

VICTIM OF DOG BITE IN INDIANA? 

Contact the Fort Wayne animal attack lawyers at the Sweeney Law Firm for a free case evaluation.