Dog Bites

While dogs are mostly known to be man’s best friend, some dogs can have aggressive personalities and tendencies to bite or attack others. If you’ve been bitten by another person’s dog, you’re probably wondering what dog bite and dog attack laws there are to protect you in Virginia. As a personal injury attorney who handles dog bite cases, I’m here to help. Virginia Law on Dog Bites Virginia requires dog owners to be aware of their dog’s temperament, nature, and tendencies, and to act responsibly according to those characteristics to prevent dog bites and dog attacks from occurring. This means that an owner of a dog known to be aggressive - especially if the dog is from a breed considered aggressive - is legally expected to act with a higher duty of care than a dog owner who has a lap dog that is docile and calm. Additionally, many of the municipalities in Northern Virginia [...]

Serving as a personal injury attorney on cases involving dog bites can sometimes leave people thinking that perhaps I’m not a “dog” person. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our family has rescued 2 dogs ourselves and one, Maybelle, has become a member of our family, almost like a 4th child! We love dogs. That’s why we try to educate dog owners on their duties to properly control their dog, so no one gets hurt and the police don’t have to come and take the dog away. It’s often said that Virginia law follows the “one-bite rule”, suggesting that a dog owner isn’t liable the first time hisa dog bites someone. In other words, the dog gets a “free bite”, so to speak. But this is not really an accurate description of Virginia law. Evidence of prior aggressive behavior can be enough to prove liability, even without a prior bite. Your Responsibility as a [...]