We tend to think of dogs as man’s best friend, and with good reason. Most dogs are loyal to their owners, make for wonderful company, and are great with people altogether. Unfortunately, some dogs are poorly trained, neglected, or simply just have bad dispositions. That said, when a bad dog bites or attacks another person for no reason, the injured party may have legal grounds to hold the owner accountable via a personal injury lawsuit. If you or a loved one was attacked by a dog, contact a seasoned Pike County dog bite lawyer from Shane Hall Attorney at Law to learn more about these attacks and how we can help you get the compensation you need.
When someone is attacked by a dog, they will require compensation to help cover the cost of immediate medical bills, ongoing care, prescriptions, lost time at work, and more. A Pikeville, KY personal injury lawyer from our firm is here to help these victims get the compensation they deserve.
Many states follow what’s known as the “one-bite rule,” which means that as long as it is the very first time their dog has attacked someone, the injured party likely can’t sue the owner because the owner would not have known that the dog had vicious propensities.
That said, Kentucky is a strict liability state, which means that regardless of whether this is a dog’s first attack, if the dog attacks and injures someone, that person has a right to file a lawsuit against the dog owner.
While anyone attacked by a dog has a right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the dog’s owner, it is also true that Kentucky observes what’s known as comparative fault when it comes to personal injury claims. Simply put, this means that if the dog owner can prove that you provoked the attack in some way, such as by trespassing on their property or by teasing the dog, you will receive a reduced amount of compensation based on the proportion to which it is determined the attack was your fault.
So, for example, if you are determined 45% at fault, you will only receive 65% of the compensation you initially would have, should the attack have been entirely the dog’s fault.
The statute of limitations for most personal injury claims in Kentucky is one year. This means that those who’ve been injured are required to file their injury claims within 365 days of the date the incident occurred. Waiting longer than one year will likely result in them losing their right to sue permanently. Our legal team is here to help you today–you just need to pick up the phone and give us a call or contact us online.
The bottom line is that if you or a loved one is a dog attack victim, our firm is here to help. Contact a dog bite lawyer from Shane Hall Attorney at Law today to schedule your free case evaluation with our dedicated legal team.
© 2024 Shane Hall Attorney at Law, PLLC. All rights reserved. Attorney advertising.