Who Pays for the Medical Bills After an Accident?

Yes, the dog is suppose to be man's best friend. However, when dealing with a dog whom we don't know we never know if we are dealing with a friend or foe. Dog attacks and of course bites occur all the time. The question is when a dog bites someone who doesn’t live at their actual residence who is responsible for the individuals medical cost?

Now, if the dog is in their yard SOME of us may say that it would be the responsibility of the individual who comes into the yard. Especially if the person is an unwelcome visitor such as a home intruder. But in some states such as Florida it turns out this isn't the case. Turns out it's the homeowner will be liable unless they takes certain precautionary measures that takes the liability out of their hands. A definite measure for a dog owner to take is to have a sign out clearly for anyone to read on their fence that say Beware of Dog or Bad Dog. This is letting anyone know that a dog is on the premises and that entering the yard will be at their own risk. Keep in mind though that there will be those situations where even having such a sign won't excuse the dog owner from responsibility. If the dog bits a government worker such as a postal worker or a child under the age of 6 who doesn't understand the danger involved the dog own will again face the responsibility for the do biting the person.

Another situation where a dog owner is definitely to blame is letting a dog run loose from their yard. There are home owners who leave their gates wide open and don't leash up their dogs when doing so or pinning them in the back yard to where the dog can't run free. If a dog does leave the yard and actually attacks or bites a pedestrian the home owner will again face legal action.

Now in the state of Florida the injured party will have up to four years to file a lawsuit against the dog owner. This could be necessary if the dog owner refuses to settle on a claim or even admit that they are at fault. In such cases a person who had to receive medical treatment due to the dog attack has every right within the confines of the law to file a lawsuit to receive compensation for the pain and suffering.

This law even covers the beloved pet of another person. If someone else's pet is attacked or bit by a dog owner's dog again the dog owner could be liable for the damages. In some cases this had led to the dog who commits the attack to be put to death as a result of their actions.

We all love our pets. But with out pets such as our dogs there will come responsibility. This comes in the form of taking care of their needs, but it also covers making sure that our dog stays out of trouble. Dogs can be like our own children and in some cases don't understand their trouble they can get in, but we as owners have to be more diligent. Remember, what our dog does could come back to bit us if we aren't careful.

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