A well-trained, obedient dog can make a wonderful pet. But when a dog becomes aggressive or vicious, or its owner does not control it properly, it can threaten the safety of an entire community. If a dog bites or otherwise injures you, we can help you get fair financial compensation.
Children are especially vulnerable because they are smaller than adults, less able to recognize dangers, and less able to defend themselves from a dog attack. Even full-grown adults can be badly hurt by an aggressive dog. The laws surrounding dog bites and animal attacks are more complex than you might think, and it is not always easy to prove your claims against the dog’s owner. Get an experienced lawyer to help you.
Call our dog bite injury attorneys at Rice Law at (410) 694-7291 and ask for a free, confidential case evaluation.
Dog Bite Statistics + Most Dangerous Breeds
According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), “Nearly five million people in the US are bitten by dogs each year.” While any dog can bite, including “family-friendly” breeds such as Labradors and golden retrievers, certain breeds are responsible for a disproportionate number of severe injuries. According to the results of a study published in 2019, the top six breeds with the highest bite risks were:
- “Unknown”
- Pit bulls
- Mutts (mixed-breed dogs)
- German shepherds
- Terriers
- Rottweilers
What Are the Health Risks of a Dog Bite?
Dog bites carry more risks than you might fully realize. While the physical pain of the bite injury is certainly concerning, victims might also suffer infections, scarring, and even psychological injuries.
Bodily Injuries
The immediate danger with any bite wound, puncture wound, or laceration (cut) is blood loss, which must be quickly controlled. Depending on the force and location of the bite, structures like tendons, ligaments, muscles, and nerves can be seriously damaged, potentially causing permanent complications like loss of sensation or mobility in certain parts of the body.
Infections
Damage caused by tearing or chewing is not the only danger with a dog bite. Dogs’ mouths are full of bacteria, which can infect a bite wound or transmit disease. Infections and diseases associated with dog bites include rabies, MRSA, and tetanus.
You may also risk infection after a dog bite. Even falling on the dirty ground with an open wound from a dog bite puts you at risk of infection and serious medical complications.
Scarring and Disfigurement
A dog attack can also leave the victim with extensive scarring, or even lead to the loss of fingers, limbs, or facial features like eyes and lips. These types of injuries can cause substantial impairment, affecting the victim’s ability to work and earn income.
Some cases involve far more than just a dog bite. Victims of aggressive, vicious dog attacks might be extremely hurt. Dogs are very strong animals and can inflict extensive, disfiguring harm.
Psychological Injuries
Dog bites can also cause severe emotional distress, anxiety, and depression, in addition to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is very scary when a dog suddenly turns aggressive, and many people are deeply emotionally affected. You might experience mental distress, PTSD symptoms, and a lifelong fear of dogs and other animals.
Who is Responsible for Dog Bite Injuries?
After a dog bite incident, the dog’s owner is usually the one legally responsible. If you are unsure who the dog’s owner is, our dog bite injury attorneys will help you figure it out. For example, you might have been bitten by a free-roaming dog in your neighborhood, but you might not know who in the neighborhood owns the dog. In that case, our dog bite injury attorneys can help you report the incident to the police so they can investigate and find the owner.
Can You Sue if You Were Bitten by Someone Else’s Dog?
You may be able to file a lawsuit if you were injured by another person’s dog. This applies not only to bite wounds, but also to other dog-related injuries, such as scratches or injuries from being knocked down.
Even if the dog’s owner claims the dog has never shown aggression before, or even tried to stop the attack, they may still be held responsible. Dogs can be unpredictable, and owners must be held responsible.
When Should You File a Lawsuit for a Dog Bite Injury?
In Maryland, you must file personal injury lawsuits, including those for dog bite injuries, no later than 3 years after the injuries occurred. Talk to your lawyer about the exact date of the dog bite incident so they can determine how much time they have to prepare your case and file it in court. If you file your case late, it could be quickly dismissed, and you might never receive fair compensation.
Claiming Costs of Medical Care for a Dog Bite Injury
Dog bite injuries may range from painful yet minor bites to severe mauling injuries. While you should get medical care for any injuries, the exact costs may vary based on the severity of the injury. You can claim costs related to…
- Emergency medical care
- Surgeries
- Physical therapy
- Reconstructive surgery
- Future medical care
Non-Economic Damages in Dog Bite Injury Cases
Dog bite cases may involve extensive claims for non-economic damages, including pain and suffering. These damages can be challenging to evaluate, as they often require more than proof of financial cost.
The physical pain of your injuries may be intense, and you deserve compensation for having to endure it. The more serious your dog bite injuries, the greater these damages should be.
You may also claim damages related to psychological trauma. Dog attacks can be incredibly scary and may leave victims deeply traumatized, and you may claim compensation related to the toll on your mental health.
Talk about your painful experiences with a mental health professional. Their records about your care and testimony may help us prove non-economic damages.
Do You Have to Prove That a Dog Has a History of Aggression?
Plaintiffs suing for dog bite injuries are not required to prove that the dog had a known history of aggression or that the animal had attacked others before. You may sue even if the dog had never exhibited any aggression or bitten anyone else. However, proof of past biting incidents may help support your claims and show that the owner knew or reasonably should have known that the dog was dangerous.
Maryland Dog Bite Laws and Strict Liability for Dog Owners
Maryland’s strict liability law generally holds dog owners liable for injuries caused by their dogs if the dog was “running at large” before the attack. This means that if a dog is off the leash, not fenced in, and unrestrained by its owner when it bit you, the owner may be strictly liable, and you do not have to prove actual negligence.
You do not have to prove that the owner knew or should have known about the dog’s prior aggressive behavior to have them held strictly liable.
However, as the section below explains, some exceptions may protect dog owners from bite liability.
Rebuttable Presumptions of Negligence in Dog Bite Injury Cases
Strict liability may not be possible in every case, but that does not mean we cannot prove that the dog’s owner is responsible for your injuries. In Maryland, the mere fact that the dog caused injuries creates a rebuttable legal presumption that the owner knew or should have known of the dog’s aggressive behavior.
The dog’s owner may present evidence to the contrary, but if they cannot overcome this presumption, they may be held liable for your damages.
What if You Are Bitten by a Dog On the Dog’s Owner’s Property
Many scenarios allow a dog owner to be held liable if their dog bites, scratches, or injures someone. However, the law also makes a few exceptions. For example, if someone is attacked by a guard dog while trespassing on a homeowner’s property, the dog’s owner would not be held liable for the trespasser’s injuries.
What if You Are Accused of Provoking a Dog to Bite?
Another exception to a dog owner’s liability for bite injuries is provocation. If the owner can prove that the injured victim provoked the dog into attacking, they may not be held liable for the victim’s injuries.
What does provocation look like? Are the owner’s claims of provocation reasonable, or were you simply playing with the dog? These are important factors to consider if the defendant accuses you of provoking the dog. Witness testimony, security camera footage, and other evidence may be necessary to disprove provocation.
Dog Bites During the Commission of Another Crime
If a person is bitten by a dog while that person is committing or attempting to commit any crime against another person, the dog’s owner may not be liable. The crime does not have to occur on the dog’s owner’s property for this exception to apply.
How Contributory Negligence May Affect Dog Bite Injury Cases
Maryland’s pure contributory negligence rule prevents accident or injury victims from recovering damages if they were partly at fault. Even slight negligence on the part of the plaintiff could leave them unable to claim any compensation for their injuries. However, the contributory negligence doctrine does not apply to children below age five, which means toddlers and babies are excluded.
This is likely something we will have to face, as the defendant need only prove slight negligence on your part to completely avoid liability. As such, we need strong evidence from the incident to show that you did absolutely nothing wrong.
Our Maryland Dog Bite Injury Attorney Can File Your Pit Bull Lawsuit
Call our dog bite injury attorneys at Rice Law at (410) 694-7291 and ask for a free, confidential case evaluation.