The Newmarket dog bite lawyers at Verkhovets Law have seen it happen more than once: some pet owners refuse to pay for the injuries caused by the attack of their dog because they are unaware of the legal obligations that come with owning a dog. They would claim, in the aftermath of an attack, that they had no clue the dog would ever act that way, and that they did nothing careless to trigger it to snap; therefore, it is not their fault that the dog attacked. They would also claim that their dog never attacked anyone or another dog before. However, according to DOLA, dog owners are 100 per cent responsible for the actions of their pets; as a result, the owner is responsible for any damages that occur as a result of a bite by their dog.

If a property owner understood the law, there would be no doubt about whether or not they would pay for the damages, wouldn’t there? However, some of them won’t, according to the lawyers in Newmarket who specialize in cases involving dog bites. Because they are not aware of their severe liability under the DOLA, some owners are reluctant to pay for the injuries and trauma that their dogs have caused. It is absolutely necessary to have Newmarket dog attack lawyers on your side when negotiating a reasonable settlement in order to prevent strained arguments and payment refusals.

Both the number of reported dog bites and the number of related lawsuits are on the rise. The Newmarket dog bite lawyers at Verkhovets Law have experience dealing with the complications that can arise in personal injury cases such as the following:

• To determine who is considered the dog’s “owner” under DOLA, look to the person who had care and control of the dog at the time and was “harboring” it. If a child gets bitten by a dog while it is being walked by a friend, the friend is held responsible as the dog’s “owner,” not the actual owner, who wasn’t even present at the time of the incident.
  

• Our Newmarket dog attack lawyers are here to assist you in the event that the dog’s owner asserts that your negligence contributed in some way to the incident. That example, if you make the dog angry, it is possible that your payout will be reduced. In the example of the child that was given in the preceding paragraph, if the youngster got too close to the dog or terrified it, then some of the compensation might be reduced by the percentage that it was determined that the child was responsible for causing the bite.
  

• Our Newmarket dog attack lawyers have successfully resolved complex dog bite cases requiring the application of the Occupiers Liability Act to the question of who is at fault. A property owner has a responsibility under Section 3(1) to ensure the safety of their premise and may be held accountable for injuries caused by a dog attack if they fail to do so.
  

• Our Newmarket dog bite lawyers will explain that the dog’s owner is not responsible for your injuries if you were perpetrating a crime (such as robbery, burglary, or a home invasion) on the owner’s property when you were attacked by the dog.

If you are bitten by a dog, the owner of the dog is the one liable for your injuries and therefore compensation. Simply give the Newmarket dog bite lawyers office of Verkhovets Law a call or send them an email, and we’ll see to it that they accept responsibility and provide adequate compensation for any injuries you or your dog incurred.