Dog bite attacks spur dog bite lawsuits

Posted by Bruce Westbrook

January 12, 2009

Many dogs are friendly — even law-abiding. But many other dogs are aggressive – some of them so much so that they can kill. On Sunday in Chicago, three dogs — including two Rottweiler canines — attacked and killed a 4-year-old boy. Days earlier, a Rottweiler attacked and injured two small girls in nearby Joliet, Ill.

In Chicago, Houston and many other cities, leash laws require dog owners to keep their dogs confined, either in a house, in a fenced yard or on a leash. No dog is supposed to be running loose at any time or anywhere. Yet many people routinely allow their dogs out the front door, figuring they can control them for the brief time they’re romping in the front yard.

Not only is this illegal, but it’s dangerous. Unless a dog has had rigorous training, it can disregard its owner and race across the street, accosting and perhaps attacking an innocent stranger. And even if the owner has no reason to expect such behavior, as the saying goes, there’s always a first time.

Besides that, the law doesn’t allow for an owner’s discretion. Confined is confined, and loose is loose — period. In fact, laws covering dog bite injuries are getting tougher teeth.

Did you know that, if you are attacked by someone else’s dog, that person may be legally liable for his or her dog’s actions? And we’re not just talking about fines. In some states, dog owners are being sent to prison for especially vicious attacks by their dogs.

In Michigan last fall, a woman was sentenced to 15 years in prison after her four bulldogs got loose and attacked and killed two elderly people. Not long after that, a couple living in Breckenridge in North Texas was sentenced to seven years in prison when their pit bulls attacked and killed a 7-year-old child. This pit bull attack brought the first such sentence under Texas’ new law. It holds dog owners responsible if their unsecured dog makes an unprovoked attack off their property.

If you or a family member has been a victim of such a dog attack, alert a dog bite lawyer with Jim S. Adler & Associates to gain legal assistance. Call toll-free at 1-800-505-1414 to speak to a legal representative, or fill out the free case review form on this page. With a dog bite lawsuit via a dog bite injury lawyer, you can take a financial bite out of those whose disregard of the law led to your pain and suffering.

Share on Facebook