Broadly speaking, pet owners are legally responsible for ensuring their animals do not injure other people. While they may know this in theory, in practice a shocking number of pet owners fail to exercise sufficient care, leading to otherwise preventable dog and animal bites. But how exactly do negligent pet owners cause dog bites, and what happens when those bites occur?
Why Do Dog Bites Happen?
Not every dog or animal bite is necessarily predictable or preventable, but many of them are. In many cases, they will involve pets that are not adequately socialized or trained to handle strangers, or pets who are left unsupervised to do whatever they want. They may also include animals that are left outside without a fence to keep them in, or dogs who are allowed to walk around without a leash.
How Does Negligent Pet Ownership Contribute to Dog Bites?
Negligent pet owners make dog bites and other animal bites more likely by failing to maintain proper control over their pets. Legally speaking, every pet owner is responsible for the training and socialization of their pet, and must ensure they are under control at all times. This includes ensuring they are safe to keep around children, who are much more likely to be victims of dog bites than fully grown adults.
What is the Impact of Dog and Animal Bites?
When people get bitten by dogs and other animals, the results can be surprisingly horrific. More severe bites can require surgery to repair, resulting in weeks or months of recovery time and reduced mobility in any affected limbs. When children are bitten, the results can be even worse, and can sometimes even be fatal depending on the severity and location of the injury.
What Should You Do?
Your first priority after any dog or animal bite should always be to seek medical attention, even if you are not in serious pain. Additionally, if you or someone you love has been bitten by a dog or other animal, you may be able to seek compensation from the animal’s owner. However, in order to understand all of your legal options, you should speak to a lawyer with experience handling personal injury claims, who can help you to get justice for the harm you have suffered.
For more than 50 years, the New York lawyers at Elovich and Adell have represented clients like you in personal injury cases. Our attorneys, conveniently located in Long Beach, handle personal injury, real estate, commercial transactions, criminal defense, and labor and employment claims all across New York State. For a consultation, please call us at 516-432-6263 or visit our contact page for more information.
