Today we are going to cover a less known and less popular topic; the stray dog bite. Most dog owners are responsible dog owners who do not allow their pets to roam free. Most dogs are not aggressive, despite what you read in the news. That being said, there are times when you may be riding your bike or walking on a trail and a stray dog comes from nowhere. It may have no identification such as a collar or tag and it may be a dog you have never seen before. Despite your actions, it may attack cause you injuries. The question becomes: who is liable for a stray dog bite in Georgia?
First Things First
Dogs are wonderful animals but under the wrong circumstances they can be lethal. If this dog is running loose and feels threatened, for whatever reason, back away slowly and do NOT run. Running will escalate the situation. If you have a rock or large object near you, use it. Dogs will back away from thrown objects but only if you can land it very close to them or hit them. The point is to get yourself to a safe place and get your injuries treated.
When you are safe, get your injuries and wounds treated. Call Animal Control and the Police Department. You want to try to point out the last location you saw the dog so they can contain it. If a dog is wandering around attacking people, it has to be removed. Either it is lost, wandered from its home or it could have distemper, rabies or some other disease that is causing it to react violently when it normally would not do so.
Treatment
Be sure to get the medical care you need because dog bites can get infected quickly. They can cause nasty infections that take a bit of time to heal. You may need to take some medications for potential infections for a few days. Usually a local clinic can treat a dog bite unless your attack was severe.
Ownership
To find the person liable means you will need to determine if the dog is truly a stray or if it belongs to someone and just been running loose or wandered out of the yard. Even if the dog unintentionally got out of its containment, at least you know who owns the dog and that tells you there is a person responsible for the dog.
However, if it is truly a stray dog bite and no one is claiming to be the owner of that dog, then it is going to be very difficult for you to be reimbursed for the injuries and for the pain and suffering that you’ve felt as a result of that animal attack. In this case, the best thing to do would be to get a report from Animal Control and speak with a Georgia attorney who has experience with personal injury cases and animal attacks/bites. Many times an investigator will find that the animal does have an owner and there is a potential claim.
If you are in need of a personal injury lawyer who is experienced with these types of cases, contact Ty. With over 20 years experience, he can offer you a review to put your mind at ease.
