Understanding What Strict Liability Means When You’ve Been Involved In A New Haven Dog Bite Incident

Who is at fault when it comes to a New Haven dog bite incident? Most likely, that would be the dog’s owner or caretaker. 

In Connecticut, strict liability is adhered to in cases that involve dog bite injuries. This means that the person who was hurt by a dog bite does not need to prove that (A) the dog’s owner knew the dog was vicious or (B) the owner had been negligent in caring for the dog before they can seek damages related to the incident. If a dog harms you or your property, you can hold the owner liable. In the event that more than one dog was involved, you can hold all of the owners liable for damages. 

To dog owners, this means that, even if you didn’t mean for your dog to cause harm and you were taking the kind of care that would normally be required when dealing with an animal, you could be held liable for New Haven dog bite injuries. 

There are, of course, exceptions to this. If the victim was trespassing or committing some other wrongful act on the dog’s property, or if the person was teasing or harming the dog, then the dog’s owner is no longer liable. Both the definitions of trespassing and teasing can be interpreted by the courts as they take into consideration what “normal” behavior for a dog might be. A neighbor walking up the driveway to say “hello” while you are home may not be considered trespassing; whereas someone jumping over your backyard fence may be considered as such. 

In any event, when it comes to New Haven dog bite injuries, strict liability is followed, making the dog’s owner most often the person at fault.