Landlord Liability for Dog Bites

While landlords may be reluctant to lease to tenants for various reasons, one such reason may be that the potential tenant owns a dog and the landlord does not want to be held legally liable if that dog ever bites or attacks someone on his property. Although there are cases in which dog bite victims can sue both a dog owner and the dog owner’s landlord in the event a dog bites or attacks a person (or another animal), in order for the landlord to be seen as liable in the eyes of the court, the victim has to be able to prove that:

• The landlord knew that the dog responsible for the attack was dangerous or vicious and, therefore, should have been removed from the property.
• The landlord in some way cared for, harbored or otherwise had control over the dog.

Proving the fact that a landlord may have had some sort of control over the dog is far more difficult, in general to prove than the fact that a landlord may have had knowledge of a dog’s propensity for attacking people. As a result, it’s notoriously difficult to try to hold landlords legally liable for dog bite injuries when they occur on the landlord’s property.

However, skilled dog bite injury lawyers have experienced building formidable cases against both dog owners and landlords alike, and they can help victims secure the maximum possible compensation for their injuries and losses after a dog bite or dog attack occurs. Schedule a free consultation with Brown & Brown, LLP today to discuss your case.