Approximately 77.5 million dogs are owned in the United States.  [i]  Each year close to 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs.  Nearly 1,000 individuals are sent to the Emergency Room each day as a result of dog bites.  [ii]

New Jersey Law protects those bitten by a dog, regardless of whether or not the dog had a prior disposition of viciousness.  N.J.S.A. 4:19-16 provides that the owner of any dog that bites a person while they are on public property or lawfully on private property shall be liable for the injuries suffered by the person bitten.

Nonetheless, a victim’s amount of compensation may be reduced where they “knew the dog had a propensity to bite either because of the dog’s known viciousness or because of the plaintiff’s deliberate acts intended to incite the animal.”  Budai v. Teague, 212 N.J. Super 522, 525 (Law Div. 1986).

Here at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd L.L.P., we focus on representing NJ and NY accident victims and protecting their rights. Call our office at (888)-GINARTE or contact us online for a free consultation and we will make sure your rights are not lost.