If you’ve suffered an injury as the result of a dog bite from someone else’s dog, they may be liable for your losses. Nebraska has a strict dog injury law, Statute 54-601. This law makes dog owners liable for all injuries and damages caused by the dog except in instances of trespassing or when the dog is being playful or mischievous.
What Type of Injuries Are Included?
This law applies to most types of injuries. This includes dog bites but also other types of injuries like scratches related to the animal’s conduct. If the dog knocks you down and you hit your head, that could be considered an injury as well.
What About Playful Contact?
The most complex component of Nebraska’s dog bite law relates to mischievous actions. For example, if a dog is being playful and you suffer an injury from it, that may not amount to negligence.
It’s impossible to interrogate the dog to find out if they were being aggressive or had malicious intent. As a result, a judge or jury may have to make this decision based on the other evidence in the case. This may include:
- Witness statements
- Extent of the injuries
- Observations about the dog
- Previous behavior of the dog
- Statements from neighbors or others about aggressiveness
It’s always important to gather evidence at the scene of an accident to prove your case. In a dog bite case, getting this information isn’t easy to do. Because of the vagueness in this component of the law, be aggressive about taking pictures of what happened as soon after the incident as possible. Make sure to report the incident to the police. You may want to seek out neighborhood doorbell cameras or other videos of the incident as well.
Don’t File Your Claim Without Help
If you have a claim, make sure you have a personal injury attorney to help you through the process. The Law Office of Matthew A. Lathrop, PC, LLO, can help you with any dog bite claim. Schedule a consultation with our team to learn more about your options and how to file a claim for your losses.
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