Dog Owner Liability and Non-Aggressive Dog Injuries

When people think of injuries caused by dogs, dog bites are the first thing to come to mind. But while dog bites do indeed force hundreds of thousands of people to seek medical treatment every year, they’re not the only kinds of injuries dogs can cause. Dogs don’t even necessarily have to be acting aggressively to be able to cause an injury.

The CDC estimates that over 80,000 people every year go to the emergency room over injuries caused by a pet-related falls. This can include things like a person being knocked over when a big dog jumps on them to say hello or someone tripping over a dog getting in their feet. Large dogs in particular can easily knock a person over if they jump up to give them a friendly greeting and the person wasn’t prepared for it.

But just because a dog wasn’t acting aggressively at the time of the fall, that doesn’t mean the injury is inherently less serious. Falling for any reason can easily cause a multitude of significant injuries, including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, knee injuries, hip fractures, and joint dislocations. Not only are these injuries very painful to deal with, a person might have to take time off from work while they recover. If the injured person is an elderly person, they may have a longer and more difficult recovery than a younger adult might have — and they might never be able to fully recover from their injuries.

All dog owners have a responsibility to keep their pets under control to protect people from being injury, even if a dog doesn’t have a history of being aggressive. Even if you understand that your dog is being friendly when it jumps up to greet someone, it’s very important to remember how easy it is for that friendly greeting to cause serious injuries, especially if a person isn’t expecting it. It’s also important to understand that people who aren’t familiar with a dog’s temperament can easily see a dog running up to them and be afraid that they might get bitten. If you have a dog who tends to jump on people or run around them as a greeting, one of the best things you can do to keep your visitors safe is put them in a separate room as people are coming in.

If you’ve been injured by a non-aggressive dog, it’s still important to get the help of a dog bite lawyer as soon as possible. The intent behind an action leading to an injury doesn’t impact the severity. In addition to dog bite lawyers, Goodwin & Scieszka also has lawyers specializing in other types of accidents like slip and falls, so we have the legal experience to help you get the compensation you need. Contact us for help with your case and win with Goodwin!