Dog Bite Victims

Far too many people do not pursue litigation from a dog bite. These injuries may cause scarring, lacerations, infections, bone fractures, and post-traumatic stress(PTSD).  Furthermore, these injuries may be worse if the victim is a small child.  In addition to physical and mental injuries, victims often lose income due to recovery from their wounds. The final bill associated with a bite injury may easily stretch into thousands of dollars. A dog bite is not a rite of passage. Dog bites are not injuries that people should just dismiss and move on with their lives. Dog bite victims should be compensated for their injuries.

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Michigan Dog Bite Laws

The State of Michigan has enacted a liberal dog bite statute designed to compensate bite victims. This statute is close to a strict liability statute.  Negligence principles do not apply to the statute. The “one bite rule” does not apply under this statute.  This means a bite victim may recover compensation for their injury from the first time the dog bites someone, according to the dog owner. Victim provocation is still a defense under the statute. In addition to the statutory claim, there is a common law claim for bite victims.  The common law claim still uses the “one bite rule.”  Before a dog owner may be held responsible for their dog’s injuries to people, the owner must have some knowledge of the dog’s dangerous propensity.  Once the owner has knowledge of the dog’s tendency to bite people, the owner has a duty to protect the public from their dog. 

Homeowner Insurance Covering Dog Bite Liability

Homeowners Insurance in most, but not all, cases will cover dog owner liability due to a dog bite. There were 17802 dog bite lawsuits in 2019 nationwide. In 2019, the average cost paid out nationwide associated with dog bites was $44,760.00. Visit this website to learn more about insurance coverage of dog bites.