Animals and the Law: When the Animal Didn’t Bite, but Caused an Injury—What Do you Do?
What happens when the animal in an animal attack didn’t bite but still caused an injury—what do you do? The good news is that animal laws here in Ontario are very cut and dry—and favour the victim of animal attacks. Animal owners are held responsible for any injuries their animal makes—even if the victim wasn’t bitten. Not only are they responsible for their animal, but also any damages that result from the attack and injury, including medical bills, lost wages, loss of opportunity, etc.
Animals and the Law: What Do you Do After an Animal Injury If the Dog Didn’t Bite?
As a victim of an animal attack you are entitled to compensation for your injuries and any resulting losses it caused—but, you must file a claim within time limits. According to Ontario’s statutes of limitations you generally have two years to file a claim, although with evidence deterioration and fading memories filing a claim as soon as possible is recommended. Your first step to filing a claim—is to hire a personal injury lawyer with experience in animal law and animal injuries. Your lawyer will help you build a case before you file by helping you put together evidence, including pictorial evidence (as your wounds will, eventually, heal), witness statements and medical and other documentation. You will need to prove the dog owner’s liability, and then deal with either the dog owner themselves or the company who handles their homeowners or tenant insurance.
Due to the nature of proving an animal-induced injury when the animal didn’t bite you need a lawyer with experience with animals and the law, and who has filed claims under the Ontario Dog Owners’ Liability Act before.
Questions to Ask your Animal Law Personal Injury Lawyer
When hiring a lawyer to represent your animal attack case, ask them the following questions—to ensure that you are well-represented by someone with adequate animal law experience:
- What percentage of your—and your firm’s—case load is personal injury cases?
- How many animal attack claims have you filed?
- Who would we be suing—the homeowner or their insurance company?
- What evidence do I need to support my claim?
- How soon should we file and how long do you think the claim will take?
- How do you structure your fees with animal-attack claims?
When it comes to the most experienced personal injury lawyer in Whitby in animal attack and animal law—there’s no better than the experts at Jane Conte.
