Article Written By: georgefuller
Certain Santa Monica dog owners think that when their pet bites someone all they have to do is to pay for the medical bills. However, in legal sense, dog bite accidents are not as simple as that. There are particular laws in California that address dog attack incidents and learning them beforehand is a necessity especially if you own a canine.In California, there are personal injury-related laws that protect people from dog bite cases. Presently, there are at least four basic laws that dog owners should be aware of in order to learn what they should do in case that their pet bites someone.1. Strict Liability RuleThere are only a limited number of states in the U.S. that implement strict liability rule when it comes to dog bite cases and California is one of those states. In accordance with the concept of strict liability, a dog owner may be held responsible for an animal attack if:• The victim was injured because of the dog attack• The defendant is responsible for the ownership of the dog• The incident occurred in a public or privately owned area• The accident resulted in damages and/or inconvenience to the victim2. One Bite RulePrior to the implementation of strict liability rule, one bite rule is commonly imposed in Santa Monica. Under the premise this rule, the dog owner is automatically held legally liable for a dog attack. The victim must be able to prove that the dog had previous history of being vicious or have attacked another individual before he was bitten. 3. Negligence RuleUnder the personal injury law, if a dog owner is proven negligent in securing his dog that resulted into an accident, he may be held liable for the incident. Victims who may need to file a personal injury case must be able to prove that the owner became negligent in handling or controlling his pet. In this type of case, seeking assistance from an experienced Santa Monica personal injury lawyer in order to successfully claim for damages from the negligent owner.4. Leash LawDog owners are required to restrain their pets especially when in public places. If an owner fails to follow the law, it may be a basis for negligence if his dog injures a person.
This Article Has Been Published on Wed, 9 Nov 2011 and Read 100 Times