Depending on the degree to which the dog’s actions demonstrate violence, the person bitten by a canine might have to be hospitalized. In that event, the dog’s actions have forced the victim to deal with a serious injury. Obviously, the canine has not money that can be used to cover that injury. Hence, the pet’s owner becomes liable for the medical expenses.
In some states, the person bitten by a canine does not have to prove that the owner of the vicious animal was negligent. A negligent owner would fail to use proper precautions, when out with his or her four-legged friend. Of course, some dogs are so protective that the owner has to keep that animal well-controlled, even when it is in its own home or yard.
Can dog bites be prevented?
Prevention becomes easier when members of society become more aware of what causes such unfortunate incidents. A dog’s fear can trigger violent action, the sort associated with a biting incident. Yet awareness of that fact does little to keep such incidents from occurring. For example, your dog might not be familiar with the new mail carrier. It might bite-into the carrier’s leg.
The mail carrier has to deliver the mail. The pet owner cannot know for sure when that same carrier will arrive. Hence it is in the owner’s best interest to have the pet well-controlled. Failure to follow that procedure makes him or her liable, if the dog’s teeth make a mark on the carrier’s leg.
Some other causes for dog bites can be prevented more easily. For instance, the person that meets a canine should not antagonize that same animal. By the same token, he or she should not disrupt the canine’s routine. Most people associate that warning with the need to remain at a distance, when a dog’s full dinner dish has been placed in front of that hungry animal.
Of course the act of eating is only one part of a canine’s routine. Not provoking an animal is important and this piece of advice might also be an example of how to deal with another possible biting trigger, i.e. another reason that some dogs act violently. A sick canine might feel compelled to dig its teeth into some human flesh. Of course the same animal would probably make it easy for someone to avoid direct contact with the pet. Avoidance of direct contact represents one way by which a biting incident can be prevented.
However, if you are in Alberta and have been bitten by a dog, it is important to know that you are eligible to file for compensation under the Canadian tort laws. However, hire an experienced injury lawyer in Sherwood Park to represent your rights so that you get maximum compensation.