Dog Bite Laws in North Carolina

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Daggett Shuler Law Firm
2140 Country Club Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27104
PH (336) 724-1234
TF 1-800-815-5500

Hi, I’m David Daggett with Daggett Shuler Attorneys at Law. Dogs are the most popular pet in this country, with over 65 million households, or approximately two-thirds, of American households owning a dog. The vast majority of these pets are truly “man’s best friend,” bringing great joy to households or becoming reliable service animals – sometimes both.

Despite this, there are still roughly 4.5 million dog bites incidents that occur in the United States each year. Approximately 800,000 of these dog bites will require emergency attention from a doctor. Many of these more serious dog bites will cause permanent injuries, and some may even result in the wrongful death of an innocent person. Sadly, children are most often the victims of these catastrophic or fatal dog bites.

Fortunately, nearly all states have adopted laws allowing victims and their families to recover compensation for dog bites. These laws are all different and specific to each state, requiring different requirements to prove a claim based on strict liability, negligence, the one-bite rule and a combination of other factors.

Here in North Carolina, our law is a bit of a hybrid. Generally, we are a “one-bite” state when it comes to proving liability. That means that dog owners are usually not liable for a dog’s first bite, but will be strictly liable for bites after that. However, there are exceptions.

The most common exception is when an owner had prior knowledge that a dog was dangerous or aggressive. This does not necessarily mean that the dog has bitten someone before, but it could be that the dog has attacked another dog, growls or snaps at people, or has demonstrated other aggressive or dangerous behavior that can be documented in legal proceedings.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to prove a dog bite without an experienced personal injury law firm – especially because most of the facts are within the control of the dog owner who could lie about what they knew. That’s why victims and their families need an experienced personal injury law firm with experience in dog bite claims to help them.

To learn more about how our experienced personal injury attorneys at Daggett Shuler can help you, contact us today by dialing 336-724-1234 for a FREE consultation. Or reach out to us through our website at daggettshulerlaw.com.