Dog Bites: Recover Your Lost Wages and Medical Expenses

Usually this term accurately describes dogs that we come across.  They can be caring, affectionate, and loving.  Unfortunately, however, some dogs can be violent, often the result of irresponsible owners.  Certain breeds are in fact bred solely for aggression and their tendency to attack other animals and people.  Children are more often attacked and bitten than any other segment of our population.

Dog bites can be one of the most emotionally traumatic personal injury cases that a lawyer will see.  Unlike a car accident, the dog bite involves an actual attack on the person, which can leave physical as well as emotional scars.

Recovering from  a dog bite attack can be complicated.  North Carolina law has adopted the "one free bite" rule, which allows a dog's owner to escape liability if their dog has not shown aggression before.  This rule can be overcome in situations where there is a leash law violation or the dog is of a certain breed with a known propensity for aggression.  Another complication can be finding funds to compensate the dog bite victim.  Unlike in a car wreck, dog bites are not required to be covered by liability insurance.  Fortunately, most home owner's policies will cover a dog attack if the owner of the dog is a home owner or a relative of the home owner.  Additionally, landlords can be found liable for knowingly allowing vicious and dangerous dogs to live on their property.