The costs of a dog bite
May 15 was the start of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which aims to teach dog owners how to keep them from biting. It is sponsored by the U.S Postal Service, insurance companies and animal enthusiasts themselves. While dog owners may think that their insurance will cover the bill, some in California could be charged with a misdemeanor as well as risk being dropped by their insurance company.
In the neighboring state of Arizona, an average of $57,000 is paid out each time an individual is bitten by a dog. That is $20,000 higher than the national average. In addition, a study from the Arizona Department of Health Services found that hospital bills from dog bites are $55 million per year.
Of those who are injured around the country, one-third of the victims are children who are under the age of 14, and postal workers are another common victim. In 2015, there were 6,549 postal workers who were bitten by dogs. To increase postal worker safety, some people may be asked to pick up their mail at the post office if there is a dog on the premises. Others may also be asked to pick up their mail at the post office if a dog is seen in the street.
Those who have been bitten by a dog or by any other animal could experience serious injuries that may require hospitalization and keep an injured victim out of work. A Sacramento dog bite lawyer who has experience with these types of cases will tell injured victims that California has a statute that imposes strict liability on dog owners. What this in general means is that the owner does not have to have prior knowledge of the dog’s dangerous propensity in order to be financially responsible to a person who is legally on the property at the time of the attack.