Your Legal Questions Answered
I was walking my dog in our neighborhood. A dog jumped his fence, my dog started barking and the other dog was growling. I kicked the dog and it backed off. When I tried to pick up my 13 pound dog she was so agitated that I slipped on rocks fell on one knee and landed on my left hand pinky finger. I saw an orthopedic hand specialist and have gone to physical therapy.
To assess potential legal recourse for the injuries sustained in the scenario you've described, it's essential to understand the foundational elements of a tort claim. A tort is a civil wrong that causes someone to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. There are several key elements that must be present to establish a successful tort claim, specifically in the context of negligence, which seems most relevant to your situation. These are duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and damages.
Duty of Care: The first question is whether the dog's owner owed a duty of care to you. Generally, pet owners have a legal duty to control their animals and prevent them from causing harm to others. This duty includes ensuring that their pets do not escape from their property and pose a danger to neighbors or passersby.
Breach of Duty: If a dog owner fails to secure their pet properly, allowing it to jump a fence and act aggressively toward others, this could be considered a breach of their duty to control their pet. In your case, the fact that the dog was able to jump the fence and approach you and your dog aggressively might indicate a breach of duty.
Causation: Causation requires showing that the breach of duty directly caused your injuries. This element can be complex, especially in situations where the actions taken in response to the breach contribute to the injury. You mentioned kicking the aggressive dog away and subsequently slipping and falling while trying to pick up your own dog. A critical aspect would be establishing a direct link between the dog's aggression (and the owner's failure to prevent it) and your injuries. The argument would need to demonstrate that your response (kicking the dog and attempting to lift your dog) was a reasonable reaction to the immediate threat and that the slip and fall were directly related to this encounter.
Damages: Finally, you must have suffered actual damages as a result of the incident. Based on your description, you have seen an orthopedic hand specialist and undergone physical therapy, indicating significant harm and financial costs associated with your injury.
If you would like us to evaluate your case, please contact us at (303) 688-0944.
The foregoing information is general information only and should not be relied upon to take, or fail to take, legal action. No attorney-client relationship is formed by this information. __The only manner to obtain complete and adequate legal advice is to consult with an attorney.__
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