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Completing Paperwork For Your Personal Injury Case

Proving That A Dog Owner Knew About Their Animal's Aggressiveness

16 November 2016

Christopher Wilson

In some states, you can only get compensated for a dog bite if you can prove that the owner of the dog knew about their animal's history of aggression. This can either be actual or constructive knowledge, but how do you prove it? Here are some forms of proof to pursue:

Why the Dog Is Kept

People keep animals for different reasons, and the reason for keeping a dog can determine whether its owner knows the dog can attack others. For example, people keep dogs as pets, guards, and guide/service animals (helping people with disabilities). Anybody who keeps a dog as a family pet cannot expect the pet to be aggressive, especially if the animal has no history of aggression. However, anyone who keeps a dog to guard their home against intruders should know that their dog can attack others.

Whether It Has Fought With Other Animals

Aggressive dogs don't just attack people; they also fight with other animals. They chase neighbor's cats, fight with other dogs, or chase after other family pets (such as parakeets). Therefore, as long as you can prove records of fights with other animals, you may be able to prove that the owner should have known about their animal's aggressiveness. Talking to the animal owner's neighbors, for example, may help you uncover evidence. The same neighbors may turn into your witnesses if the matter progresses to court.

Whether There Are Warning Signs on the Property

The law assumes that a property owner wouldn't warn others about their dog if they didn't consider the dog dangerous. Therefore, if there is a "Beware of Dog" sign on the property, you can use the sign as proof that the animal's owner knew about the animal's aggressiveness. Even verbal warnings may suffice as proof. For example, if the owner had repeatedly warned the neighbor's kids about the dog, you can use the verbal warnings to prove your case.

Whether the Dog Is Usually Muzzled

Does the dog owner usually muzzle the animal? If the answer is yes, then you can assume that they know about their dog's aggressive tendencies; why else would they muzzle the animal? This is especially true if the dog wasn't injured or being groomed at the time it was muzzled.

As you can see, there are different ways of proving that a dog owner knew or knows about their dog's aggressiveness. You just need a lawyer to interpret the dog's history and prove your case to the judge or jury. A dog bite attorney can do this perfectly. For more information, check out websites like http://www.trammellandmills.com.

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