What If Your Neighbor’s Dog Bites Your Child?

What if your child was playing on your lawn and your neighbors dog accidentally bit him or her on the leg? What can you do about it?

The accident may or may not require surgery but there will be certain commitments that you have to meet with the doctor because off the bite. Your neighbor may not do anything about it even if it’s their fault that the dog bit your child. Things can go from bad to worse but the good news is that there is something you can do about it.

In general, as in law, if you have been injured at the hands of another person or that person’s animal such as a dog, then you may have a claim against the owner of that dog. In particular, you have to prove negligence on the part of the dog owner as it relates to the dog. You will be entitled to recovery for any damages that have been caused by that dog.

You have to prove that the dog owner was negligent in handling the dog. For instance, if the owner was walking with the dog and the dog got away from him and bit you or a family member. Or you can establish negligence by stating that the dog owner did not keep the dog tied to its even if there have been cases in the past where the dog have attacked or bitten somebody.


Did The Dog Owner Do Anything To Prevent His Pet From Attacking Somebody?

Another case of negligence would be one where the dog owner did not do anything to keep the dog away from people and from biting somebody. That is negligence enough under the law and you can opt for compensation to recover from any damages that the dog may have caused you.

Strict Liability

If you can prove that the owner happens to own a dog of a very vicious and dangerous breed, you can recover from damages caused by such dog. The owner can be held liable simply by owning such dog and not doing anything to keep the dog from getting near people. But this would require a short witness testimony from an expert that would verify the fact that the dog is of a vicious breed.

Aside from expert testimony, you also require the diagnosis of the doctor to prove that an injury or damage was done. You will also need the expertise of a lawyer upon such matters. Your attorney will know just how serious your case is and tell you exactly what you can do about your situation and how you can be compensated for it.