In light of the recent debate over the safety of pitbulls, the New Jersey personal injury lawyers at Breslin and Breslin would like to remind all NJ dog owners of the state’s “dog bite” laws. New Jersey, like the majority of states, is a statutory strict liability state. This means that the dog owner is legally liable for all the damages inflicted upon a dog bite victim, even if the dog had never shown a propensity for attacking humans.
There are exceptions to this rule. For example, if the dog bite victim gets attacked while trespassing on the owner’s property, or if the dog was under the care of another person such as a professional dog walker, the owner may be absolved from liability.
The statute, titled “Liability of owner regardless of viciousness of dog” reads as follows:
The owner of any dog which shall bite a person while such person is on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, shall be liable for such damages as may be suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of such dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness.
For the purpose of this section, a person is lawfully upon the private property of such owner when he is on the property in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by the laws of this state or the laws or postal regulations of the United States, or when he is on such property upon the invitation, express or implied, of the owner thereof.
If you or a loved one has suffered injuries from a New Jersey dog attack, you may be entitled to compensation. Do not hesitate to contact the knowledgeable and experienced New Jersey dog bite attorneys at Breslin and Breslin for a free, no-risk case evaluation today.
