Animal Bite Laws are created by states and follow state laws and regulations. This means that they can vary across the U.S. The plaintiffthe injured individualcan sue the animal's owner or another responsible party for damages, even if statutes don't say so.
Other parties that can also be held liable for damages caused by an animal bite include animal keepers, who are responsible for the care and custody of an animal, such as a kennel, pound, or animal sitter; property owners, when they have allowed the animal on their property; landlords if they knew that their tenant owned a dangerous animal; and parents of minors who owned the animal or behaved negligently with an animal which led to an injury.
Most states hold animal owners strictly responsible for the actions of their animals. This means that an animal owner is legally responsible for their animal biting, regardless of whether the owner showed actual negligence or fault.
In these states, if the animal injures a person, the owner will be liable for any damages the person suffers due to the dog bite, even if the animal had never shown vicious tendencies before or the owner had no knowledge of these tendencies.
The only defense the animal owner may have in these situations is if the animal behaved in a manner consistent with provocation. This means inciting, encouraging, or provoking the animal to bite.
If the animal's owner can show that the victim was aware of the dangerous and vicious nature of the animal, the owner may be liable for damages when that animal causes injury to someone.
The damages that may be recovered in an animal bite claim include medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damages. It is also sometimes possible to recover punitive damages, but it must be shown that the responsible party was not merely negligent but was reckless or intentionally incited the injury.
