Maryland Dog Bite Lawyer

 

    Speaking for all of the lawyers at this firm, we love dogs. Dogs bite people because - for whatever reason given the context - their instincts compel them to bite. It is not the dog's fault. But their owners and caretakers are responsible for making sure that a dog with a propensity to bite does not bite an unsuspecting victim.

According to the CDC, nearly 5 million people are bitten by dogs each year. Most are insignificant. But approximately 1,000 people go to the emergency room every day from dog bite injuries. Many of these people are the dogs' owners or others who negligently handled the dog or otherwised assumed the risk of their injuries. But many dog bite victims are innocent victims, often children who would not know of the dog's vicious propensities. Incredibly, dog bites are ranked 5th on the list of reasons children end up in the emergency room and, far too often, the bites on children are on the child's face.

Maryland Dog Bite Law

     Under Maryland law, a dog owner may be liable for injuries caused by the dog under two alternate theories of liability: negligence or strict liability, the latter arising from the owner's knowledge of the animal's propensity to cause harm.  

Maryland is not a "one bite" state where a dog must have previously bitten someone in order to bring a claim. In fact, under Maryland dog bite law, there are some breeds of dogs that are known to be so aggressive that no prior propensity to bite is required for that particular breed of dog. Pit bulls are the most obvious example. These are essentially strict liability claims. In other words, the plaintiff's lawyer must show that the dog was aggressive by nature and that the injuries were the result of the dog bite. In order to hold an animal's owner strictly liable, the dog bite victim must offer evidence that the owner knew, or shodog biteuld have known, of the propensity of the dog to cause the harm that was caused.

There also may be a negligence claim against the dog's owners if they knew or had reason to know of the animal's vicious propensity or where the owner has acted negligently in controlling his animal (including, violation of leash laws).

Who Pays For the Injuries in a Maryland Dog Bite Lawsuit?

Generally, homeowner's policies and some renter's insurance polices will cover strict liability and negligence in dog bite cases in Maryland. This holds true even if the dog is not on the homeowner's property.

Common Insurance Company Defenses

Many insurance defense lawyers handling dog bite cases in Maryland are incorrectly convinced that a dog must have bitten someone before to create liability. This is a common defense. Other defenses are that the victim provoked the dog (which sometimes happens and it is a good defense if true), was a trespasser (which raises the bar on the claim) or that the victim was otherwise negligent or assumed the risk that the dog might bite. These defenses can typically be defeated with good lawyering but with insurance companies, it is almost invariably a battle to get to a reasonable settlement without a trial.

How Much is My Dog Bite Case Worth in a Settlement or at Trial?

The median (not average) dog bite verdict in Maryland over the last 23 years is $24,600. Ironically, when the average outcome when you include settlements into that data is only an additional $61 dollars: $24,661. Our law firm handles dog bite cases but we do not handle the smaller cases represented by these numbers. If our firm agrees to handle your dog bite case, it is because we believe your settlement or verdict will be substantially higher than the median numbers cited above.

Calling a Lawyer For Your Dog Bite Injuries

At the risk of being repetitive, our lawyers handle only serious dog bite injury cases. But if we do accept you case, you can be sure our firm will fight to get you the money you deserve for your injuries. If you or your child have been injured from a dog bite in Maryland, call a lawyer at 800-553-8082 or get a free on-line consultation on your dog bite claim.

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