Can I Sue the Dog Owner if I’m a Dog Attack Victim?

Oftentimes, a dog attack victim’s first reaction to a dog bite or animal attack is to turn the blame on the owner. While this is mostly accurate, there are numerous laws in place in the state of New York that may prevent you from suing the dog’s owner directly. New York is a “mixed law” state, which means that the “one bite rule” and strict liability both apply. In most dog bite cases, the only thing that a victim may be able to claim from a dog owner is damages for medical expenses that they accrued during the time that they were injured. In order to obtain further compensation, it is highly recommended that you work with a qualified New York City dog bite attorney from Greenberg & Stein, P.C.

Because New York is a “mixed state,” a dog owner / keeper is only liable for medical and veterinary costs. For other damages, a victim has to prove that the dog had a tendency to bite people and that the owner was aware of this tendency. According to New York law, a dangerous dog is one that attacks and injures or kills a person or pet or behaves in a way in which a reasonable person would believe that the dog is a threat.

If a dog owner is found to have negligently permitted his dog to bite someone, he or she could face criminal charges. Sometimes a landlord can be held liable for a dog attack as well. If the landlord was aware of the dog’s presence and the dog’s propensity to bite humans he or she can be held liable or sometimes a landlord can even be held liable under the common-law rule which says that a landlord has the right to remove an animal by evicting the tenant. Some dogs already have a reputation for being violent or aggressive, such as pit bulls, Rottweilers and Doberman Pinchers. For example, while more than 25 breeds were associated with attack deaths between 1979 and 1998, the breeds that were responsible for more than half of the dog attack deaths during this time were Rottweilers and Pit Bulls.

If you or someone you love were seriously injured from a dog bite attack in the state of New York, then you deserve to see recompense for your pain and suffering. At the law offices of Greenberg & Stein, P.C., our New York City dog bite lawyers are here to help you seek the compensation that you rightfully deserve. With more than 50 years of collective experience on our side, we know what it takes to successfully pursue cases of this nature, and we are unwilling to back down in the face of a challenge. If you’re looking for a lawyer for a dog bite accident in New York City, New York, then look no further than Greenberg & Stein, P.C.