Findlay Dog Bite Lawyer

If you were bitten by a dog after seeking emergency care, you should quickly speak with a Findlay dog bite lawyer to find out what your options are. Depending on the seriousness of the bite you may have extensive medical bills.

You may also be concerned about whether the dog was fully up to date on its vaccines and how that may impact you. The best thing you can do in this situation is get more information from a skilled dog bite lawyer about the law and how it will impact you.

Ohio Ordinances on Dog Bites

The city of Findlay requires a person to report a dog bite within 24 hours of the incident. The report should be made to the local Health Commissioner who will then order the dog to be quarantined. If someone believes the owner has not reported the bite, then as the victim or family member of someone who was bitten, they can call and make a report as well. The quarantine process will last for at least ten days to find out if the dog does or does not have rabies.

This way they can at least be reassured if they were not certain if the dog was properly vaccinated.

Individuals should also be aware that if the owner of the dog that attacked them was labeled a dangerous dog because of previous incidents then the owner must have liability insurance.

The purpose of the insurance is to protect anyone who was attacked by a dog so they may be able to receive funds from the insurance company to have their medical bills taken care of.

Overall Ohio Dog Bite Laws

If a dog is threatening, chasing or attacking a person, their pet, or any livestock that they own then they have a right to defend themselves against their dog. During this time if the dog dies, they will not be responsible for the death of the dog.

Generally, if a dog bites another person and hurts them then the owner will be financially responsible for any injuries they have sustained as well as any ongoing medical treatment they may need. However, one should be aware that in some circumstances a dog owner may not be liable to the person that may have been bitten.

One defense is that the dog was provoked by the person if that person was teasing or abusing the dog. So, if someone were playing with a dog and the dog attacks them, they should speak with a Findlay dog bite lawyer to make sure that their actions do not provide the owner with a defense.

Trespassing Laws

Another defense is if the dog attacked the person while the person was trespassing on another person’s property. Therefore, if someone enters a home without permission and is attacked by a dog then the owner will not be responsible.

This does not apply to anyone who is engaged in door-to-door sales or soliciting for other reasons. For example, if a person is a mail carrier that was attacked by a dog then they cannot be accused of trespassing.

Lastly, if a dog bit another person because the other person was about to commit or was committing a criminal act then the owner will not be responsible. However, if it was a minor misdemeanor then this defense will not work.

People should be aware that the law in Ohio regarding dog bites is not based on negligence but on strict liability. This means that it does not matter how careful the dog owner was in preventing the bite, as long as the attack happened and none of the above defenses apply, the owner will be liable.

Contact a Findlay Dog Bite Attorney Today

By meeting with a lawyer, you can get a clearer idea of the law regarding dog bites and what options you may have in recovering damages.

One option you may have is to go to court and litigate this issue.

Another option is having your Findlay dog bit lawyer speak with the owner and reaching an agreement.

Finally, if the owner has insurance that covers dog attacks your lawyer can work towards getting compensation from the insurance company on your behalf.