IS PROPERTY OWNER RESPONSIBLE FOR DOG BITE EVEN IF THEY DON’T OWN THE DOG?

We recently had a call from someone who was bit by a dog in a store parking lot. The store did not own the dog. They also had no relationship with the dog owner. Does a property owner have any responsibility just because the dog bite happened on their property? Our dog bite lawyers get this question frequently.

In general, the answer is no, the property owner is not responsible if they don’t own the dog. However, there was a small exception in that parking lot case that allowed the victim to get some compensation from the property owner.

Most property owners in Minnesota have liability insurance. Many of these insurance policies come with ‘medical payment’ coverage. Medical payment coverage will pay a limited amount of medical bills for anyone injured on the property. You don’t have to prove the property owner did anything wrong. Therefore, even though the property owner did not own the dog, their insurance will pay at least some of the medical bills.

Of course, this is not full compensation for the dog bite victim. Our dog bite lawyers will still definitely pursue a claim against the dog owner. Hopefully, the dog owner will have homeowners insurance that will fully cover the incident. However, in the meantime, it is helpful to at least have some medical payment coverage so that our client does not get stuck paying a deductible or co-pays for his treatment.

HOLDING THE DOG OWNER RESPONSIBLE

In most dog bite or dog attack cases, law enforcement will get involved. Minneapolis and St. Paul both have Animal Control departments. In many other areas, it is the sheriff’s office that gets involved in a dog attack. It is important that dangerous dogs are confined or put down. Our attorneys have had many cases where the dog bite is the second or third occurrence. Also, The majority of our cases involve a child.

DOG BITE LAWYERS

Pam Rochlin and David Rochlin are injury lawyers with more than 25 years’ experience. We have handled hundreds of dog bite cases throughout Minnesota. If you or a family member have been bitten or injured by a dog, call us for a free consultation.