There you were, strolling down a New York City street on your summer vacation with your family, when a dog walker with ten different breeds of dogs passed, and one of the dogs viciously attacked you without provocation! What are you supposed to do? Dealing with the legalities of dog bites and animal attacks in New York and even Florida falls under the umbrella of personal injury law. At Lieberman Injury Law, we deal with personal injury claims involving dog bites way too often. Dog bites happen far more frequently than many of us realize, especially in such a pedestrian-heavy city as New York.
While dogs are commonly referred to as man’s best friend, some dogs have dangerous propensities, are sick, or are trained to have an aggressive response to people. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) there are approximately 4.5 million dog bites in any given year throughout the United States, and while about 80% of those do not require medical treatment or legal action, the remaining 20 percent of cases are serious enough to warrant medical treatment, hospitalization, and suiting up with the best dog bite lawyer in New York.
Dog Bites and Attacks in New York
Whether you are the owner of a dog who has bitten someone or you are the victim of a dog bite or animal attack, you may be wondering who is at fault when a dog bites someone. In New York, the owners of pets can be held liable for their dog’s behavior and for the medical bills caused by their actions, whether it’s for knocking someone down or biting them – especially if they knew or should have known that their dog had vicious propensities. In other words, New York has a “one-bite” rule. In New York, dog owners are strictly liable for the damage the dog causes if they knew or should have known the dog had bitten someone or another dog before, showed aggression to strangers, or otherwise exhibited a dangerous or threatening demeanor before it bit a person.
If you own property – a condominium, brownstone, or any other type of building or physical property in New York, it is also important that you know if there are dogs living in your building. Building and property owners can be responsible to the victim of a bite from a dog with vicious propensities if the owner knew or should have known about the dog living in the building, and that it had a propensity to be vicious.
Contact the Legal Team at Lieberman Injury Law for New York Dog Bites
Dogs make for incredible and loyal companions to many millions of people all across New York, but they can also pose a danger to others. As the owner of a dog, especially larger dogs like Pit bulls, German Shepherds, or Rottweilers (which can inflict much more severe injuries), it is imperative that you remain vigilant about your surroundings, maintain control of your dog on a leash, and avoid situations where dog bites may occur if you are anywhere near these types of dogs.
Children are often the victims of dog bites or animal attacks, due to their small size. They tend to suffer the most severe injuries as a result. As a parent or caregiver, it is crucial that you teach your children how to behave around animals, not just with the beloved family pet, but also around unknown dogs. Children should never hug or approach a dog from behind, touch a dog’s chew toys, food, or snacks, be allowed to pull on parts of a dog or hit a dog, stare into a dog’s eyes, or kiss a dog on the face.
If you’ve been involved in a dog bite accident or animal attack in New York, then it is imperative that you contact the dog bite lawyers at Lieberman Injury law. Every dog bite case of ours is different and requires the very personalized approach and investigation and due diligence we offer to all of our valuable clients. The dog bite attorneys at Lieberman Injury Law will fight to make sure you receive the compensation you need following a dog bite or animal attack.