Dog Bite Lawyer in Northern Virginia
If you’ve been bitten by a dog in Virginia, get ready for a fight with the insurance company. Contrary to what most people think, just because you’ve been attacked by a dog does not mean that you are entitled to have your medical bills reimbursed by the dog’s owner. You’ll have better luck with an experienced dog bite attorney on your side.
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Virginia Dog Bite Laws
Virginia’s dog bite laws are heavily stacked against the injured party. In many circumstances, even if you did absolutely nothing wrong and the dog simply ran up and bit you, you might not be entitled to a single dime from the dog’s owner.
This is because Virginia requires that the injured person prove one of two things in order to recover money for their medical bills, pain, or scars. You either have to prove that the owner was violating the law by letting their dog run free or that the owner knew that the dog was dangerous.
What is Virginia’s One Bite Rule for Dogs?
The “one bite rule” states that a dog gets one “free bite” without consequence, but after that the owner is held legally responsible for dog bite injuries because the owner should reasonably know their dog is dangerous.
Live in an Area Without a “Leash Law?”
If you are fortunate enough to live in a city or county that recognizes the dangers that dogs pose and has enacted a “leash law,” compensation should be easy to obtain for your dog bite claim. But the fact is that some localities do not have any law on the books that requires an owner to keep their dog on a leash when they’re outside their own backyard.
If you live in an area without a “leash law,” the burden is on you to show that the dog has either bitten or attacked someone before and that the dog’s owner knew about it.
Animal Attack Lawyer in Fairfax, VA
If you or your child has been bitten by a dog and you’re looking for a law firm to investigate whether liability exists and what sort of insurance might provide you with some coverage for your medical bills, call the Virginia personal injury attorneys at David Marks Law.
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If you or your child has been bitten by a dog and you’re looking for a lawyer to investigate whether liability exists and what sort of insurance might provide you with some coverage for your medical bills, call the Virginia dog bite attorneys at David Marks Law.