Toledo Dog Bites Against Family Members

Our dog bite injury lawyers in Toledo represent victims of dog attacks in cases for personal injury damages. For Toledo dog bites against family members, contact one of our experienced dog bite attorneys. Our clients include both adults and children and range from joggers to postal workers who are bitten by dogs on both public and private property. Injuries are often severe and include nerve injuries, fractured bones, and permanent disfiguring scars.

Quite often, a person suffers serious injuries when they are bitten by a dog belonging to a family member or relative. This often happens when the families get together for a social visit or holiday gathering. The biting dog may or may not have had a previous history of biting.

Filing a Dog Injury Claim

A person bitten by a family member’s dog does have legal rights to sue the relative for the dog bite injuries. This can present an uncomfortable situation between two close relatives, but the animosity often begins immediately after the attack when the owner of the dog is unapologetic or relatively unconcerned about the dog attack. In fact, the dog owner will often blame the victim for causing the attack.

Ohio law holds the person who owns, keeps, or harbors the dog responsible for a dog bite or attack, regardless of prior knowledge (called, “strict liability” laws) of the viciousness of the animal. Also, the negligence law is used to hold the owner responsible for the attack. This means that the dog owner is liable if the injury occurred because the dog owner was unreasonably careless in controlling the dog. The only defense to the dog owner in these cases is if the victim provoked the attack or was a trespasser on the property.

In these cases, the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance company usually pays a settlement to the dog bite victim. Family members do not have to worry about the relative paying a settlement out of their own pockets and insurance rates usually do not increase after this type of settlement payment. Therefore, if both neighbors act in a civil manner after the attack they can still maintain their relationship after the victim is fairly compensated for the dog bite injuries.

Contact an Attorney

If you or a family member is bitten or attacked by a relative’s dog, you should contact our Ohio dog bite lawyers as soon as possible after the attack so that we can explain your legal rights to you and begin our investigation of the claim. We will represent you under our No Fee Promise, which means we do not charge any legal fees or costs until we win your settlement.

For more information after a dog bite accident in an Ohio car accident, call our office now to order your free copy of “The Ohio Dog Bite Book” and speak with one of our experienced dog bite attorneys. We will start working on your case immediately gathering all the evidence and witness statements to win and settle your case. For Toledo dog bites against family members, contact one of our experienced dog bite lawyers today.