Dog Bite

Dog bites can be among the most painful and traumatic of personal injuries and can even result in wrongful death, particularly when the victim is a young child. These cases are truly needless tragedies for victims and their families. Fortunately, New York law allows for victims and their families to obtain compensation for their injuries from the dog owner.

First of all, under New York law, dog owners are strictly liable for the medical costs when their animal bites another person. This means that the injured party does not have to prove that the dog owner was negligent in causing the attack, and it does not matter whether the owner knew that the animal may be dangerous or not.

Of course, a serious dog bite is likely to cause damages beyond the medical costs. Generally speaking, one may also recover for damages such as lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and even punitive damages in some cases, but punitive damages may only be available if one can prove that the dog is vicious and that the owner knew or should have known about the animal’s dangerous propensities. In that case, the owner may again be strictly liable, without having to prove negligence.

The powerful jaws of a dog have been known to crush bones and pierce skulls, causing disfigurement and lifelong disabilities from fractures, internal injuries, and traumatic brain injury, and a vicious dog can easily kill a small child. Small children are particularly vulnerable to animal attacks, not only for their size, but because they often cannot yet appreciate the danger a dog may pose. This is why the law imposes such strict liability on dog owners to keep their pets in a safe manner. At our firm, we take dog bites very seriously and commit ourselves to holding pet owners liable for the actions of their animals and achieving a fair measure of compensation for dog bite victims.

If you or a loved one has suffered a vicious dog bite or other animal attackin New York City, please contact Polanco & Associates, PLLC for assistance.