In Massachusetts, we have laws that are incredibly protective of victims of dog bites that allows them to get compensation for costs and losses from dog owners.
Massachusetts law mandates that dog owners are strictly liable for injuries that their dogs cause, meaning there’s no requirement that the victim show that the dog owner was negligent or knew that the dog was dangerous.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DOG BITES IN AMERICA
The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project has stated that the average cost of a hospital stay – related to a dog bite – is roughly $20,000. That’s nearly 50% higher than the average cost of a stay in a hospital due to any other injury.
WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU WERE BIT BY A DOG IN MA, AND THE OWNER HAS NO INSURANCE?
Dog owners typically don’t buy any specific policies to cover any incidents of dog bites. Instead, these dog bites are covered under either a homeowner’s insurance policies or renter’s insurance policies.
In fact, homeowners may be required by their mortgage lender to have coverage for their dogs, and many lenders exclude certain types of dog breeds known to be aggressive, such as pit bulls. Renters may be required to have renter’s insurance by their landlords or may voluntarily choose to buy insurance.
However, there are many times when a dog owner in the Greater Fall River area does not have insurance coverage to compensate for dog attacks. If this occurs, the dog bite victim has a few different options to get the compensation he/she deserves:
Firstly, the victim and his attorney can make a claim against the dog owner, despite the lack of coverage. The victim could win but collecting from the judgment might be a challenge. What could happen is the victim could then get a lien on property or a wage garnishment order to try to get the money owed.
Even in this case, it’s difficult to get the full compensation.
Dog bite victims in MA can also determine if someone else was responsible for the bite/attack through investigations. For example, if a landlord rented to someone with a dangerous dog, the landlord could be held responsible. So long as your dog bite attorney can prove a third party’s negligence, the victim can sue the person who was negligent.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a dog bite and the dog owner has no insurance, you still have options for getting compensation. Call 508-286-7122 to schedule a free consultation with a Massachusetts personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Sabra & Aspden.
