Lowell Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are about 77 million dogs in the United States. That is a lot of dogs! If you were to go for a five-to-ten minute walk in your neighborhood, the chances are that you would see at least a dog and very likely come into close contact with one. The majority of the time the interactions are enjoyable – for you and the dog! However, this is not always the case. As car accidents become a likelihood due to the volume of vehicles on the road, the quantity of dogs and interactions with them can also lead to accidents.
The most common of these accidents is in the form of a dog bite, which will be the focus of this article.
Under the Massachusetts Dog Bite Statute, a dog’s owner may be found civilly liable for any damages caused, to person or property, by their dog. The statute applies when a dog causes personal injury or property damage. Even though it is referred to as the Dog Bite Statute, all injuries resulting from a dog are included, not just bites. For example, the statute would apply if a person was knocked down by a large breed dog and suffered a broken wrist. Notably, the statute adds an exception: the injured person must not have been trespassing or committing