While we all love and care about our pets, many owners often forget that their dogs, and other pets, are still animals that have the capability of inflicting serious and severe injury. While each situation is unique, New Jersey law statute 4:19-16 states that if a dog injures another person, the dog’s owner is legally responsible for the harm their dog caused. This means that, even if the dog’s owner took reasonable precautions to protect against a dog bite, or other sort of attack from a dog, that they are liable for any injury that results.

Although regardless of if the animal had a history of acting violently or aggressively, an injured party may even be able to recover punitive damages. These are damages which are designed to punish the dog owner, in the event of a favorable outcome at the time of trial. Dog bite cases typically find the dog owner strictly liable. This means that the law won’t protect someone who was illegally on the property, such as if they were trespassing. The attorneys at our firm are dedicated to recovering deserved compensation for our clients and the victims of dog bite cases.