Georgia’s Dog Bite Statutes and Specific Provisions

There are specific laws in the state of Georgia that dictate when and how victims can seek compensation and justice. After an animal attack, talk to an Atlanta dog bite lawyer about key provisions that may impact your case, including the one-bite rule, exceptions to that rule, and other details many people aren’t aware of.

Learning More About Your Unique Case

As soon as you connect with an attorney, they can talk to you about if the one-bite rule applies to your case. Essentially, this rule means that a dog owner may not be held liable for a dog’s first bite if the dog had no known history of aggression or dangerous behavior. In other words, the owner gets one chance to argue that they did not know their dog was capable of such behavior.

Although the one-bite rule is central to Georgia’s dog bite statutes, there are important exceptions. Dog owners can still be held liable for the first bite in certain situations, even if the dog had no prior record of aggression.

• Local leash law violations. If the owner violated a local leash law at the time of the incident, the owner can be held liable for a bite. Even if the dog has never bitten before, failing to follow leash or containment laws can be enough to establish fault.
• Dog owners may be deemed negligent in preventing a bite if they failed to properly fence a yard or allowed a dog to escape, leading to an attack. The victim would need to prove that the owner did not take reasonable steps to prevent the incident.

In addition to the one-bite rule, Georgia has laws about dangerous and vicious dogs. These designations come into play when a dog has shown aggressive behavior in the past or has been involved in a previous attack.

A dangerous dog designation applies to a dog that has aggressively bitten someone, resulting in minor injuries, or has behaved in a way that poses a significant threat to people, animals, or property. Vicious dogs are animals that cause serious injury or death. Owners of vicious dogs must take additional steps to secure the dog and prevent future attacks, including maintaining liability insurance and keeping the dog securely confined.

Misunderstood Aspects of Legal Protections

Dog bite victims need to know that liability doesn’t always hinge on whether the dog has bitten someone before. Violations of local ordinances, negligence, and previous aggressive behavior can all be grounds for holding an owner accountable.

Also, even if a dog does not physically bite but injures someone in another way, such as knocking a person over or causing an accident, it may still fall under the purview of Georgia’s statutes. An experienced Atlanta dog bite lawyer can explore the potential liability of the dog’s owner and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Have you been wanting to talk to a legal professional about your injury expenses? Experts in Georgia law are available to help, simply make an appointment with the attorneys at Zagoria Law. Contact us to learn more.