Typical Liability Cases

In most instances the owner of a dog is responsible legally and morally for any injure or damage that the dog causes. Typical claims usually come about thanks to an isolated attack and the only times when the owner of a dog is not liable is when someone other than the owner was watching out for it, if the owner is younger than 18, or if the dog was on someone else’s property and they were negligent.

In fact, anyone that keeps or holds onto a dog or even harbors it for a short time is often just as liable legally as the actual owner of the dog. That makes it easy to see why dog liability insurance is so popular and so important.

Most claims are based around the definition of a keeper or the owner. For example in cases where the employee of a dog kennel is bitten the kennel is not necessarily responsible seeing as the employee is deemed to be a keeper of the dog. On the other hand if you were to allow someone and their dog to visit your home you are then defined as an owner and can be liable for any negative action the dog partakes in.

Claims have also affected shelters and kennels based on the fact that if an animal escapes from the area and causes injury or damage, whomever was in charge of the animal last was also an owner. That makes it easy to see why most kennels and even catteries have full dog liability insurance, as do some apartment buildings and landlords.

While there are in fact some instances and some states that claim that the only actual liability goes to the actual dog owner, that is too complicated to even risk. Things can be construed and twisted in many ways so you cannot always take statutes at face value.
A dog is liable if they cause any damage or perform in any unusual behavior on or off your property. If your dog runs out onto the road and causes an accident then you can often be liable for the damage. Or if your dog attacks a person or even another dog you will be liable to pay the medical bills or vet fees that can come about. Unless you lock your dog inside all day then you are at risk for it to cause some sort of injury or damage at some point. If you are not comfortable worrying every day about what your dog may do, then cover yourself with dog liability insurance.

The list of times when your dog may be liable could go on for days, but the fact is that you simply never know what to always expect. Just as you protect your home from a fire even though you have smoke alarms in the home you always want to protect you and your dog from unforeseen actions that may take place. Protection is affordable and can save you big time down the road in many ways.