What Are the Legal Consequences of a Dog Attack on Your Atlanta, Georgia Property?

Every year, dog bites result in hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits and the deaths of several dozen people. A dog bite victim who runs into the street to get away from the animal may create an accident involving other pedestrians.

Dog bites are especially common among small children since many of them are too young to realise when they are aggravating a dog. If a dog bites someone on your property, the repercussions could be different depending on who owns the dog and what the victim was doing there.

Discuss your situation with an Atlanta personal injury law firm.

Dog Owner Responsibility in Case of Dog Attack

Your dog is protected under Georgia’s dog bite law if it causes injury. The “modified one bite rule” is in effect in the Peach State. An owner is responsible for injuries caused by their dog if:

Even if the dog had never bitten a person before, its owner would have known it was dangerous. Evidence of the dog’s nasty nature could come from its past behaviour, such as growling, snarling, or charging at people.

The dog was allowed to run loose in public since its owner neglected to attach a leash to it.

Georgia’s dog bite law falls somewhere in the middle of strict liability jurisdictions, where the owner is always responsible, and “one bite rule” states, where the owner is exempt if the dog has never bitten before.

Defending Yourself Against Legal Trouble

There are two common countermeasures to Georgia’s dog bite law:

There is likely to be no culpability for the dog’s owner if the victim provoked the animal.

Trespassing: Owners normally bear no duty to a trespasser, even in the absence of a “Beware of Dog” sign. But, unless the owner has a good reason to believe the intruder means urgent bodily harm, they may not “sic” their dog on a trespasser.

Depending on the details of your situation, you may also be able to use other defences.

Insurance

Dog bites are usually covered under the homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy of a dog’s owner. Yet, some insurance plans don’t cover injuries caused by dogs of particular breeds.

In the event that the dog is not yours, please do the following: Responsibility Concerning The Premises

• A dog that does not belong to you could bite a visitor to your property.
• You may live in an area where strays are common, manage a building where residents and visitors regularly exercise their dogs in the common areas or own a kennel.