What Can I Do When a Person’s Home Insurance Doesn’t Cover the Breed of Dog that Bit Me?
If you’ve been bitten by a dog, while visiting someone’s home, you may be entitled to compensation, regardless of whether the visit was personal or work-related. Your first line of defense involves filing a claim with the person’s homeowner’s insurance. Sometimes, though, homeowner policies discriminate against certain breeds of dogs, meaning they won’t cover a claim involving one of those breeds. You’re entitled to financial compensation after a dog bite under Georgia law, so it’s possible to still receive the help you deserve, but you’ll need an experienced and proven dog bite attorney.
Attorney Kathryn Burmeister of Burmeister Law Firm has years of experience helping dozens of clients recover costs and receive additional compensation after a dog bite injury. However, Georgia law sets a two-year window of time to file your personal injury claim involving a dog bite. That’s why it’s important to contact your Atlanta dog bite lawyer as soon as possible.
When is a homeowner liable for injuries caused by his dog?
Several states have “one-bite” laws, meaning that a dog owner is not automatically liable for injuries caused by his dog if the dog has never attacked anyone before. Luckily, Georgia has a modified one-bite rule, which specifies when an owner is liable for injuries caused by dog bites or attacks. Owners of a known “vicious or dangerous” animal are automatically responsible for any injuries caused by their pet if they do not ensure the dog is leashed or contained when others are around. Also, owners must warn people not to approach the dog, even if the animal is leashed.
This modified one-bite rule imposes liability on the dog owner regardless of breed. This allows injured parties an opportunity to prove their cases and recover financial compensation even if the owners home insurance explicitly discriminates against certain breeds.
Proving your dog bite injury case
To prove your case, your dog bite lawyer, Kathryn Burmeister, will gather documentation from witnesses, neighbors, animal control, a local veterinarian, and other sources. She will also identify any state or local ordinances the dog owner may have broken. This documentation is crucial to your case and can help prove owner negligence as well as prove you did not provoke the anima. The dog’s breed doesn’t matter. In Georgia, the law sees all dogs as harmless, unless proven otherwise, so you won’t win your case on the dog’s breed alone.
Time is limited to file your dog bite case, so do not delay in securing legal counsel. Kathryn Burmeister will fight for justice and for your rights. Her compassion and attention to detail when representing clients is peerless in the Georgia law community. Your no-obligation consultation with Ms. Burmeister is always free, so there’s no reason to wait. Get the best representation in Georgia and get the financial compensation you and your family deserve.
