In the event that you are attacked by a vicious dog, you need to immediately report the event to your nearest county animal control center and your police department. Please ensure that you immediately advise them about the incident and request that they immediately come out and investigate the incident and interview you and the owner of the dog.
Animal control investigators will immediately investigate the incident and must report all incidents to the prosecutor’s office. In most cases, where a victim has been involved in a vicious dog attack, the owner can be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor and proceedings can be initiated to declare the dog to be dangerous. You need to ensure that you cooperate with your prosecutor to secure a conviction.
It is essential that you provide your local animal control center with a thorough report of how the incident occurred. You must outline in detail all of the unsafe things that the dog did that violated your safety. Please keep in mind that if one of your pets is also a victim of a dog bite incident you are also entitled to damages that you incurred obtain treatment that your pet needed.
As an owner of a dog is responsible for the actions of that dog and can be held strictly liable for all injuries caused by their dog. In Ohio, we have a strict liability standard. All you need to prove is that Defendant was the owner of the dog, that the dog committed the act complained of, and that the act was a cause of your injuries and damages.
You must immediately obtain the immediate medical care and treatment that you need or if your animal was injured get your animal to their veterinarian. It is important that you provide all of your treating physicians or veterinarians with a thorough medical history, of all of your injuries and let them know if the pain is constant or whether it comes and goes. Describe the frequency and extent of the pain for each of your injuries.
By providing all of your physicians and veterinarians with a thorough medical history, they will thoroughly document those injuries in their records. This documentation is critical because their records are what the adjuster reviews to evaluate your injuries and losses.
In addition to reporting the claim to the police, your local animal control center, and your treating physicians or veterinarians, it is critical that you ask the owner of the dog if they had any insurance that would cover you for all your losses as a result of this dog bite incident. Explain to the owner of the dog that it would be easier to resolve any outstanding bills through their insurance company rather than dealing with the incident themselves.
It is also a good idea to remind the investigating officer or animal control investigator to ask the owner of the dog to verify if they had any available insurance to cover your losses. Oftentimes, we find that investigating police officers and local animal control investigators rarely inquire whether the owner of the dog had any insurance.
