Dogs were once considered wild animals until humans discovered how to domesticate them.
That probably involved feeding the animal and providing companionship. Over time, dogs became beloved members of the family. According to recent surveys, nearly half of all U.S. households own a dog. For most of those families, their dogs offer love, companionship, and, in many cases, protection.
However, they’re still animals, and as such, their behavior can often be unpredictable.
A dog will often lash out and bite someone if it feels threatened or provoked, but there is no way to be certain. A dog can be peaceful for their entire life but suddenly strike out. While you can’t hold the dog responsible for a bit, you can hold their owner accountable if they did not have control over their pet.
There are protocols in place for reporting a dog bite, and consideration should be given to consulting an experienced Louisville dog bite attorney.
That attorney will be in the best position to advise about the best course of action to pursue a remedy for any financial losses and pain and suffering. Before moving forward with a claim, you must report the incident.
Dog Bite Reporting Protocol in Louisville
When you report a dog bite, you initiate a chain reaction that alerts numerous agencies. The first place to report the incident is with the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness by calling (502) 574-6640.
You must also seek medical assistance for the dog bite, regardless of its severity. Even a small puncture with minimum bleeding could become infected, and in a worst-case scenario, there could be an issue with rabies. That is why, under Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) 258.065, every doctor is required to report any dog bite.
The reason doctors must report the bite is due to the potential spread of rabies. Hopefully, you’ll be able to identify the dog’s owner, and they can verify the rabies vaccination. That can help you avoid the painful process of taking rabies shots.
You should also report the dog bite to Animal Control by calling 473-PETS. This will establish a record of the incident. If the dog is feral and has no established owner, Animal Control will be responsible for tracking it down and removing it from the streets.
Leash Laws
A dog bite can become a civil complaint issue when it is established that the owner was not in control of their dog at the time of the attack. According to the Louisville law, all dogs must be kept under restraint by their owners at all times. This is how the law defines that restraint:
“For puppies and dogs, RESTRAINT shall mean on the premises of the owner or on premises which the animals’ presence has been explicitly allowed, and confined in a secure enclosure, or accompanied by the owner and under his/her direct control.
If off the premises of the owner where permission has not been granted, the animal must be restrained by a lead or leash and under the control of a responsible person physically able to control the dog, or except for dangerous dogs and potentially dangerous dogs, accompanied by a responsible person into an enclosed “off-leash” area designated by the Kentucky Department of Parks or the Metro Department of Parks and in conformance with all regulations and/or requirements imposed as a condition of utilizing such “off-leash” area by such Departments of Parks, or their designees.”
What Are Your Options for Compensation?
After a dog has bitten you, the owner can claim that their dog has “never done anything like this before.” However, that does not absolve them from being held accountable for their dog’s actions.
The only exception might be if you were trespassing on the property at the time the dog bite occurred.
Beyond that, the owner can be responsible for any of your medical bills, lost time from work, and pain and suffering.
In order to receive that compensation, you’ll need to file a claim against the owner’s homeowner’s insurance. Many policies provide coverage for dog bites, but there are limitations. You would only be able to claim the liability limits of the policy.
For instance, if the policy only covers $10,000 in damages for a dog bite, that would be the maximum amount you could claim.
If your bills exceed that amount, or the homeowner doesn’t have insurance, you will need to file a civil complaint. That is when all the evidence of your reports and medical records will come into play.
Utilizing that evidence at a trial will require the support of legal experts, such as ours at Thomas Law Offices. We’ve helped many clients who have been victims of a dog bite.
That support begins with a free consultation.
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