DOG OWNER RESPONSIBLE IF YOU FELL RUNNING FROM DOG

Our lawyers handle cases where a person is injured by a dog. Of course, most of these cases involve a dog bite. But not always. We have had many cases where a dog injures someone by knocking them down or pushing them. But what if you are injured and the dog did not even touch you?  For example, if you fell while running from dog. Is the dog owner or their homeowners insurance still responsible? Often, the answer is yes.

Our lawyers recently took a case where our client was injured while running away from a dog. The dog was clearly coming after him. However, he fell without the dog actually touching him.

The law in Minnesota says there does not have to be physical contact between the dog and the victim, if the dog’s actions were generally directed toward the victim. For example, in one case, a dog running around a postal worker caused the worker to twist his back. In fact, the dog’s focus does not have to be on the victim, such as when a person is injured during course of a dog attacking another dog.

INJURED WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED BY DOG

Unfortunately, the law is not completely clear in these cases. Basically, the dog must be the affirmative, proximate cause of the injury.  Where a puppy in the back seat of a car distracted the driver, who then ran over a pedestrian, the dog law did not apply. The court in that case said the negligence of the driver was an intermediate cause. In another case, a dog harnessed to a sled pulled the sled into a downed tree. A person on the sled was injured. In that case, the court said the dog’s behavior of jumping over the downed tree would have been harmless if the dog was not harnessed to the sled. Therefore, the dog owner was not responsible.

LAWYERS FOR INJURED BY DOG CASE

If you are injured because a dog was chasing you, you have a case even if the dog doesn’t tough you. Our personal injury lawyers have more than 30 years’ experience with these cases. Call us for a free consultation. You will speak directly with a lawyer. We will answer your questions and explain your rights. Further, we never charge anything unless you receive compensation.