Overview.
A dog bite can be
emotionally scarring as well as physically scarring.
A dog bite injury is not one that should be taken
lightly due to the sometimes serious nature of the
injury. Approximately half of dog bite injuries
occur on children between 5 and 9 years old. Many of
the injuries are to the face and cause
disfigurement. Often these injuries happen in
familiar places. Our lawyers are well versed in the
Alabama Dog Law, and can you help you recover
medical, pain and suffering, loss wages, etc.
The laws surrounding dog bites is contained in
The Code of Alabama 1975, the relevant statutes are
listed below:
Section 3-6-1
Liability of owner of dog for injuries to person
bitten or injured while upon property owned or
controlled by owner, etc.
If any dog shall, without provocation, bite or
injure any person who is at the time at a place
where he or she has a legal right to be, the owner
of such dog shall be liable in damages to the person
so bitten or injured, but such liability shall arise
only when the person so bitten or injured is upon
property owned or controlled by the owner of such
dog at the time such bite or injury occurs or when
such person has been immediately prior to such time
on such property and has been pursued therefrom by
such dog.
*This basically means that the dog owner is
liable for injury caused by the dog bite if the
person bitten was rightfully on the property, and
the dog bit without any provocation from the injured
party.
Section 3-6-2
When person deemed lawfully on property of
owner of dog.
For the purpose of this chapter a person shall be
considered to be lawfully upon the private property
of the owner of such dog when he is on such property
in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by
the laws of this state or by the laws of the United
States or the postal laws and regulations of the
United States, when reading meters, when delivering
milk, when making repairs to any public utility or
service upon said premises or when on such property
upon the invitation, either expressed or implied, of
the owner or lessee of such property.
*This means that a person is lawfully on the
property if they were invited as a guest or
performing a duty.
Dog owners may also incur liability if they are
aware of the vicious propensity of their dog and
fail to take proper precautions. It is important to
note that Alabama is a contributory negligence
state, which means that if you were also being
negligent when you were bit your claim could be
barred.
If you or a loved one have been injured by a dog
bite, contact one of our experienced attorney’s for
an evaluation of your claim. We offer free
consultation in dog bite cases and are here to fight
for your rights.
