Hastings & Hastings Considers Dog Bites and Liability

    PHOENIX, AZ, January 22, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Hastings & Hasting encourage accident victims to seek out legal guidance and representation following any accident, regardless of the severity. In an effort to help inform the public of their rights regarding specific types of accidents, Hastings & Hastings would like to provide information regarding dog bites and liability.

Liability regarding dog bites is regulated differently state to state. Hastings & Hastings informs that there are two primary styles of law which determine liability in dog bite cases. Some states use "One Bite" laws in determining liability, while other states enforce strict liability regarding dog bites.

The application of "One Bite" laws can be more complex than the application of strict liability laws. According to "One Bite" laws, an owner may only be held accountable for a dog's aggressive actions if he/she could have reasonably anticipated that the dog would act aggressively. Hastings & Hastings comments that a number of factors determine whether or not an owner should have anticipate their dog's actions. These circumstances may include the dog's breed, the setting in which the bite took place, an assessment of the situation leading up to the dog bite, the dog's training, and even the dog's history with aggression. If it determined that the owner should have known that their dog might behave aggressively, than they may be held accountable for the dog's actions.

Hastings & Hastings reports that many states, including Arizona, use strict liability laws. In the application of strict liability laws, the defendant is held liable for their dog's actions regardless of whether they could have done anything to prevent the bite. Hastings & Hastings notes that in determining liability, it will be relevant if the plaintiff was legally permitted to be in the location where the bite took place, and it is important that the plaintiff did not provoke the dog.

"Dog bite victims interested in filing a personal injury lawsuit should consider retaining the services of a knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney. All of the attorneys at Hastings & Hastings have handled dog bite cases before. Victims should call us and schedule a free consultation. We will do everything we can to protect their rights while fighting for fair settlement," said David Hastings, the founder of Hastings & Hastings.

Hastings & Hastings is an Arizona consumer law firm. We are an experienced trial law firm that represents personal injury and wrongful death victims at a Discount Fee.

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