Imagine that a large dog viciously bites you. Accordingly, you now want to hire a dog bite attorney. You took a walk near your home in Bergen County. Then the bite sent you to the Valley Hospital emergency room. Unfortunately, it looks like the bite will leave a large, permanent scar. You also missed work for a week.
The owner of the dog, who lives in Passaic County, claims that it is the most peaceful animal that ever lived. It never even scratched anyone before, let alone bit them.
Therefore, you are concerned that you may not be able to receive any compensation. Compensation for your pain and suffering, medical bills and lost income. You have heard that every dog is entitled to one bite before a victim can sue its owner for compensation. In other words, you believe that only a bite victim of a dog who bit someone else at least once before can sue for damages. This is known as the so-called one-bite rule.
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NO ONE-BITE RULE, SAYS DOG BITE ATTORNEY
However, you feel much better after you meet the experienced dog bite attorney whom you will hire. That’s because the dog bite attorney tells you that the one-bite rule does not apply in New Jersey. Rather, in New Jersey, you can generally sue the owner of any dog that bites you, regardless of whether the dog has any previous history of attacking anyone.
Because the dog’s owner in this example happened to live in Passaic County, your lawyer further tells you that you have a choice of bringing your lawsuit there, or in Bergen County, where you reside. Either way, you will get your day in the New Jersey Superior Court.
If you are ever the actual victim of a dog bite, it is vital that you do several things immediately. I summarize them in an another post about what to do after a dog bite.
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