Oklahoma Dog Bite Law

· § 4-42.1. Personal injury by dog—Liability of owner.
The owner or owners of any dog shall be liable for damages to the full amount of any damages sustained when his dog, without provocation, bites or injures any person while such person is in or on a place where he has a lawful right to be.

· § 4-42.2. Lawful presence on owner's property, what constitutes—Public place, what is.
For the purpose of this act a person shall be considered to be lawfully upon the private property of the owner of a dog when he is on such property in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by the laws of this state, or by the laws of the United States, or the postal regulations of the United States, or when reading meters, or making repairs to any public utility or service located on said premises, or when working on said property at the request of the owner or any tenant having a lease upon any portion of said property, or when on such property upon the invitation, either expressed or implied, of the owner or lessee of such property. The term "public place" shall, for the purpose of this act, mean and include any and all public buildings, parks, playgrounds and recreational facilities, and any and all places of business, amusement or entertainment which are privately owned, wherein merchandise, property, services, entertainment or facilities are offered for sale, hire, lease, or use.

· § 4-42.3. Exceptions to application of act—Existing rights and liabilities.
Provided that this act shall not apply to rural areas of this state or to any cities or towns that do not have city or village United States mail delivery service. Provided, nothing herein shall be construed as diminishing any right or liability for injury by dog bites now existing under the laws of this state.

Dog Bite Claim

In order to prove negligence in a strict liability dog bite claim, the owner of the dog must be established, typically through licensing or vaccination records, and that the dog in question actually bit the claimant.

While Oklahoma has strict liability laws concerning dogs that bite, proving negligence can be a challenging task. Jeffrey Atkins and Dan Markoff, experienced personal injury attorneys at Oklahoma Dog Bite Law Center, are up to the challenge. They share a deep commitment to holding dog owners responsible for injuries their dogs inflict upon others. Coupled with a thorough understanding of Oklahoma dog bite laws, our experienced attorneys in Oklahoma City are dog bite law experts can help you or a loved one get the compensation you deserve.

It is important to contact a qualified Oklahoma dog bite attorney as soon as possible after the incident occurs to ensure that your rights are protected. For a full review of your dog bite case, contact a personal injury lawyer at Oklahoma Dog Bite Law Center in Oklahoma City today.

Statute of Limitations

The Oklahoma dog bite law and personal injury claim law state that there is a time limit within which a claimant must file a personal injury claim-a statute of limitations. After this time period has passed, you may lose your right to legal recourse and compensation. Therefore, it is imperative that you contact our Oklahoma City dog bite law experts at the Oklahoma Dog Bite Law Center to get your case moving as quickly as possible.

In Oklahoma, a personal injury lawsuit must be filed within two years of the incident, except in the unfortunate circumstance where a minor has suffered personal injury. For these special cases of personal injury, Oklahoma law extends the statute of limitations time period until one year after the minor's 18th birthday.

To be sure your dog bite personal injury case is filed within Oklahoma's statute of limitations, it is essential to contact our qualified personal injury lawyers in Oklahoma City as soon as possible. Practicing in Oklahoma City, dog bite lawyers Jeffrey Atkins and Dan Markoff can help you file your dog bite case and assert your rights in a timely manner.

Responsible dog ownership includes proper socialization and care of the animal, as well as ensuring that it does not cause harm to others. When a dog attacks or bites, the resulting injuries can be severe. Emergency medical treatment for bites or puncture wounds, the possibility of being infected by a disease like rabies, infection of the wound or other complications, emotional trauma, scars, and ongoing medical treatment are all possible outcomes of being bitten by a dog. In the worst cases of dog attack, victims may be killed. Unfortunately, children are the ones most often affected by dog bite. They account for about 60 percent of reported incidents where medical attention was sought.

Liability

In Oklahoma, dog bite laws outline a statutory strict liability state: dogs don't get "one free bite." Dog owners are fully responsible for injuries caused by their dogs. In many cases, the dog owner's homeowner's insurance handles injury claims. Oklahoma dog bite laws state that if an attack happens while the victim is legally on private property (as an invited guest, to deliver mail, etc.) or while the victim is on public property, the owner is typically liable, as long as the victim was not intentionally and persistently antagonizing the dog.

Oklahoma dog bite law includes exceptions to a dog owner being liable for injuries caused by his or her dog. These include situations where the victim: was trespassing on the dog owner's land; was provoking the dog; is a veterinarian who was bitten while treating a dog owner's dog; was bitten or injured during the commission of a felony; was bitten by a police or military dog. Aside from these few exceptions, dog owners can be held legally liable for the injuries they cause.

When a dog owner is found to be liable for injuries caused by his or her dog, the dog bite victim may be entitled to compensation for: emergency-related medical treatment and medications; future medical treatment needs like scar reduction surgery; psychological counseling to help cope with the traumatic event and lingering fear; and lost wages.

The dog bite accident attorneys at Oklahoma Dog Bite Law Center can help you ascertain the merits of your case. We specialize in dog bite law, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss your dog bite case in more detail. Please contact our Oklahoma City dog bite laws experts to schedule a review of your case.

Dangerous Breeds

Although any dog is capable of biting, some dog breeds are known to be more aggressive-and therefore more dangerous-than others. According to current dog bite fatality data 1 , the top ten dog breeds responsible for causing the highest number of fatalities in the United States from 1979 to 1998 include:

Not all attacks involving dog bites are fatal. In fact, about 4.7 million nonfatal dog bites were reported in the United States in 1994 alone, according to data2 furnished by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Nearly 800,000 of those people bitten in 1994 had injuries serious enough to require medical care3. Half of the people who sought medical care were children under the age of 18*. Children are especially at risk for dog bite. In the United States, a dog bite victim is seen by a medical professional every 40 seconds (5).

It is important to note that any dog can attack and cause serious injury, even small dogs. Some of the reasons that dogs attack include their neglect, mistreatment, bad temperament, and being provoked or threatened, either intentionally or unknowingly. Whatever the reason for the attack, Oklahoma dog bite law states that dog owners are responsible for the actions of their pets and can be held liable for injuries.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a dangerous dog and are in need of a dog bite injury attorney in Oklahoma, please contact one of the skilled personal injury lawyers at Oklahoma Dog Bite Law Center in Oklahoma City to discuss the details of your dog bite case.

Sources of Data:
1Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) Special Report: “Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998,” JAVMA, Vol. 217, No. 6. September 15, 2000. www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/dogbreeds.

2Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Review (MMWR), “Nonfatal Dog Bite—Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments---[sic]United States, 2001,” MMWR, July 4, 2003, Vol. 52(26), 605-610. www.cdc.gov/mmwr.

3,*,5Injury Fact Book 2001-2002, Dog Bite Injuries section. www.cdc.gov/fact_book.