In many cases, when a dog bite injury occurs, the dog owner may claim that the dog was used for self-defense because it was protecting yourself or your family. However, it’s important to pay close attention to the possibilities that can result with this type of claim.
Dog are in many bite injury cases considered a weapon, which in many cases would allow you to use them for self-defense, just as it would to claim that a baseball bat was used for self-defense or a pistol. However, when you are in court due to a dog bite, the dog owner will need to be able to provide without a shadow of a doubt that the dog bite was in deed self-defense and unavoidable for the safety of yourself and/or your family.
Why did you need that type of protection?
The courts will want to first determine why such a force was used for protection. They want to rule out any ideas that there were drug involvement or other illegal activity that was occurring on the property that would require protection in order to defend. The injured party could claim that there was no real threat to you or your family and your dog acted out of no fault of the injured party. The court, if they rule in the favor of the other person, will be able to charge you with assault and battery at the minimum.
Where were you when the Incident Happened?
Where were you when the injury occurred to the other person. If you were in the park, at the store, or another public place, chances are, there were cameras and witnesses that seen what was going on and were able to tell their side in order to defend your dog’s
If you were home, the Castle Doctrine could be your best defense. If someone breaks into your home, having a dog attack the intruder is one of the many ways that a homeowner can have protection in their own home. When that intruder made the decision to enter your property without your permission, you will need to be able to provide the proof and, in many cases, you will win your case.
If your dog has been accused of causing injury to someone, you will want to find a good personal injury lawyer in Lethbridge that has experience in this type of claim to represent you and help you win your case. It’s important that you have access to pictures of the injuries as well as any eyewitnesses that seen what happened and may have even recorded it on their phone. You may also be able to access nearby monitoring cameras to see how the accident played out in order to verify your story.