Dogs are man’s best friend right? Well, anyone who has ever owned and loved a canine friend knows how adorable and loving these animals can be. In fact, many of us might be suspected of loving our dogs more than we love our children, but that is not what this article is about. This article is about the rare instances when man’s best friend turns against us — when an unplanned for attack wreaks havoc on the life of a New Jersey resident.
It is important to remember that a dog is — at the end of the day — a powerful animal with strong jaws, sharp teeth and lightning fast reflexes. They can run, jump, inflict puncture wounds, rip human flesh and they can even kill. Particularly in cases that involve children and the elderly, the aftereffects of an attack can involve serious disfigurement and fatal injuries.
When incidents like that described above occur in New Jersey, the dog owners will usually react in shock and disbelief. Even worse, they will rarely step forward to take financial responsibility for the extent of the damages caused by the animal under their control.
However, it is vital to remember that dog owners in New Jersey are fully responsible for the actions of their animals, and therefore must keep their animals under control in order to prevent attacks that hurt members of the community. Furthermore, when animal attacks happen, the owner of the animal can be held financially liable to pay for medical care and other damages suffered by the victims.
Dog bite victims should also know that New Jersey is not a “one bite” rule state. What this means is that even if the dog has never attacked a person before, and has zero history of violence, the dog owner who is surprised that his otherwise peaceful animal hurt another human being will still be fully liable for financial damages stemming from the incident.
If you or a family member has been injured by any kind of violent animal in New Jersey, it is of paramount importance to seek medical attention to treat the injuries immediately. Next, after the injuries have been tended to, you may want to investigate the pursuit of a personal injury claim for financial damages relating to the incident.