my dog bit my neighbor. can they sue me for this?

Question

Hello. My son's friend was over at my house playing. My dog was chained up in my back yard. The friend taunted my dog which led my dog to bite his finger. The friend tip of finger is broken. I told the mom I would take care of all medical bills which she is allowing me to do so. Can she sue me still???

Answer 1

Yes, she can. And she will win.

Leaving a dog chained up in the backyard is negligence. It is the absolute most unhealthy, aggressive inducing, form of torture that you can perform on a dog, other than forcing it to fight.

Dogs are naturally social and pack driven creatures. Leaving it restricted to an area where no one goes, forcing it to WATCH the people it considers family enjoying their lives creates an environment of extreme frusteration and anxiety in the dog. Whch, eventually, turns the dog into a panicky, un socialized dog, which, in turn, results in the dog spending more time 'chained up'... It's sad and disgusting to see that people treat their dogs like this.

Not only that, but the fact that you allowed your children and their friends to torture the dog while on this chain absolutely enfuriates me. You have an animal who at some point wanted nothing more than to be part of a family, tied up out back, while children tease the hell out of it. How can you not be sick to your stomach??

Now, because of what you have done to this animal, it has bitten a child.

A very likely end result of this is you being sued, and your dog being put down. I believe that the hospital has to report a dog bite to the police, which means that you should expect a visit from animal control.

If your dog does get to live through this, I suggest you eliminate the chain now. If he doesn't, I suggest you don't get another dog until you properly learn to care for an animal, instead of leaving it chained to a tree like some sort of unwanted monster.

Answer 2

She can, but whether or not she'd win is debateable. On one hand, it is considered that you are always responsible for the action of your dog. On the other hand, you had it tied up. Did you warn the child to leave the dog alone? Do you own a beware of dog sign? Were you at hand to see what was going on? The answers to these questions, depending on what state you live in and what the exact circumstances are, could decide whether or not she even had a case. That you already offered to handle the medical bills is a plus on your side as well. That said, she definitely could still sue. You might consider getting a consultation with an attorney, just in case, so you can discuss your possible options. I suppose it could wait until she actually sues if you cannot afford it. If that happens, you can't afford NOT to! Good luck. It sounds like it was a bad break. I, for one, would certainly have settled for the medical bills being paid. Honestly, I think that kid probably got what he was asking for if he was taunting the dog.

Answer 3

It is a possibility. The owner of a dog is responsible for any actions of that dog. Number one, is your dog up to date on rabies vac? If not, the bite must be reported to authorities and the dog will have to be quarantined.
All that said, dogs sometimes bite, and a little nip on the finger shouldn't be "suing" material, but we live in a "suing" nation.
Also, please note: a dog that is constantly chained or kept in a small kennel enclosure can develop "barrier frustration" that can lead to viciousness. This small bite on the finger could be a warning to you of the possibility of something more serious happening in the future.

Answer 4

What Phil said is true. However it doesn't mean she will. Since you are being responsible and paying the medical bills I don't see any reason why she would unless she was just being out right mean about it. It doesn't really seem fair that stuff like this happens, especially since the boy was taunting the dog. Good luck :)

Answer 5

The child was invited into they yard, so yes, they have every right to sue.

Hopefully your neighbor will leave it as you being responsible for the bills pertaining to this injury. But ya never know these days.

I'd (cover my own @$$) and type something up stating I'd pay for all bills for this incident and add in, once all bills have been satisfied no further action can be taken. Otherwise you could be looking at medical expenses, attorney fees, pain & suffering......etc

Answer 6

You can be sued for anything, even if it's really stupid. Dog bites are a fairly common reason for lawsuits.
One of my dogs bit a neighbor's son and I got sued. However, he was trespassing on my place when I was not home and had climbed two fences to get where my dog was, then was tormenting a puppy (causing an injury) when bitten by its mother. He lost his lawsuit.

Answer 7

Yes most people sue for medical costs but they also can get pain & suffering...
In most cases your dog gets the first bite without any consiquenses, if your dog bites again you will be looking at haboring a vicious animal

Answer 8

Is your insurance going to pay for the bite or you?The child should have left the dog alone.I would try to cover the doctor visit quickly.Now after that,do not allow anyone to go play in your back yard.The dog has shown you that he will bite.Be careful..

Answer 9

She is a guest invited to your home .... the dog should have been restrained well enough to protect such guests

If someone trespassed onto your property, and the dog bit him/her in the enclosed backyard, the judge would love to hear him complain ... because he's need a good laugh at the idiot's expence

Answer 10

Sadly yes they can sue you for neglience (sp??) They can aslo take the dog away cause it would be considered vicious if taken to court there is a possibility that the dog could be destroyed.