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Dog Bite Lawsuits: When To Sue In New Hampshire

26 March 2015 by Franklin Vasquez

Are you the victim of a dog bite that took place in New Hampshire? You may be wondering if you should file a personal injury lawsuit. The good news is that New Hampshire has one of the most liberal and victim-friendly dog bite laws in the nation. You don't even have to be the one who was bitten in order to have a potential lawsuit against the owner of the biting dog. The law applies to other pets who were bitten, as well as damage to personal property from a dog bite.

You can talk to one of the state's personal injury attorneys to determine if your case is serious enough to pursue in court. In most cases, you can get a settlement out of even a minor dog bite, because the owner of the biting dog can be viewed legally as negligent. If they kept better control of their dog, according to New Hampshire state law, the bite would have never taken place.

Here are some more details of New Hampshire's dog bite law that you should know before you call an attorney:

1. New Hampshire Law Makes It Easy to Initiate a Dog Bite Lawsuit

The actual statute of the state's dog bite law says that anyone who was injured or had their pets, livestock, or property damaged by a dog not owned by them is allowed to recover monetary damages in court for the bite. The person responsible for paying those damages is the owner of the dog.

2. Parents Are Liable for Bites By Dogs Owned By Minor Children

If the biting dog is owned by a minor child, their parents are legally liable for the damages. You will have to initiate your lawsuit against the parents.

3. You Can't Sue If You Were Bitten While Doing Something Illegal

The only time you can't sue is if you were bitten while trespassing or doing some other illegal activity that put you in proximity to the biting dog. Even then, you may be able to get around this exception if you can prove the owner of the dog knew the animal was vicious and kept it anyway.

Conclusion

The damages you can recover will depend on the severity of the bite. You may decide the court costs outweigh any financial compensation you would get if the bite is minor. You're still entitled to pursue a claim, though, however minor the bite. That is why you should talk it over with an attorney first, before filing your case in court. Call an attorney about your dob bite case in New Hampshire today.

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