Columbus Dog Bite Injury Lawyers

Columbus Dog Bite Attorneys

We Know What It Takes to Win^®

Available Compensation

Dog bites and other animal attacks can cause serious and permanent injuries, including disfigurement and scars requiring reconstructive surgery, nerve damage, damage to internal organs, fractures and broken bones and even wrongful death.

Our lawyers are committed to pursuing every avenue for financial recovery in your case. This could include money to compensate you for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Proving the Case

Our dog attack attorneys may use a variety of legal theories to establish the liability of a dog owner that does not take sufficient measures to protect others from his or her dog. Generally, a dog owner may be liable to a dog attack victim based on strict liability, negligence, or violation of a leash law.

Strict Liability: Although strict liability is a basis for imposing legal responsibility for dog bite injuries, the concept of strict liability is somewhat nuanced in this context. While strict liability still means “liability regardless of negligent conduct,” strict liability only applies if a pre-existing knowledge requirement is met (referred to as the “scienter” requirement). A dog owner may be liable for a dog bite attack if the owner knows or should know that a dog has a vicious propensity. This vicious propensity may be manifested not only by bites but also through aggressive conduct by the dog or evidence of the owner’s knowledge, like muzzling the dog or posting “beware of dog” signs. If a dog owner knows or should know of such vicious propensities, then the dog owner may be liable for injuries even if the dog owner is not negligent.

Negligence: When dog owners have no reason to know of prior vicious tendencies by their dog, they may still be liable if they engage in negligent conduct that causes a dog bite victim’s injuries. An example of such negligence (i.e. unreasonably careless behavior) might include leaving one’s gate open so that the dog gets out.

Local Leash Laws: If a dog owner fails to restrain their dog on a leash or fenced in their yard in violation of a leash law, our experienced Columbus dog bite attorneys may be able to employ the doctrine of “negligence per se.” The doctrine of negligence per se essentially means that violation of a statute or ordinance (e.g. leash law) that is intended to protect the public may constitute negligence when the violation results in injury to those it is intended to protect. A leash law in a locality is designed to protect residents from being injured by dogs running at large. This means that a violation of the leash law may constitute the basis for imposing liability on the dog owner.

A Common Occurrence

Approximately 4.5 million people in the U.S. suffer a dog bite annually with almost 800,000 being serious enough that they require medical attention. The risk of being attacked by a dog has increased over 85 percent during a recent fifteen year span. Those who are victims of dog attacks in Columbus and throughout the state tend to be the nation’s most vulnerable with the majority of victims being children under the age of 5 and seniors over the age of 65.

Unfortunately, many of those victims suffer a wide variety of damages and require varying degrees of treatment, whether it be a simple rabies shot or reconstructive surgery. Regardless of what sort of treatment you or your family member require, the experience Columbus dog bite lawyers at Montlick know what it takes to establish liability and recover damages.