What Are Your Legal Liabilities When Injuring A Dog On the Streets?

Accidents happen and when we hurt a dog on the streets, we feel so guilty. Few of us understand our legal responsibilities, so Donna Williams lets us know…

What Are Your Legal Liabilities When Injuring A Dog On The Streets

Disclaimer: The contents of this article should not be taken as legal advice and should only be used as a resource to provide information about your legal liabilities when injuring a dog on streets. You should always seek for the services of a lawyer specializing in animal-related accidents to give you a more in-depth view of this matter.

You’re always careful when you’re on the road. You don’t mind driving for hours just as long as you know you’re safe, your passengers are safe, and the pedestrians are safe. All of these things matter to you when you’re behind the steering wheel. You don’t want to pay for any damages when you know there are a lot of ways you can avoid getting involved in that kind of situation. And one of the things you never want yourself to get into is injuring a dog on the streets.

You’re a dog owner too, and you don’t want to hurt them in any way. But in cases where accidents like these happen, do you know what your legal liabilities are? Sure, you might not be in this kind of situation right now, but it always pays to be prepared to avoid the stress and to know which measures you should take.

So What Should You Do After Injuring A Dog On The Streets?

It’s normal to feel stressed whenever you’ve injured a dog on the streets. For sure, an owner has been worried sick, looking for their pet and you can’t imagine what their reaction is after they’ve found out that their pet is injured on the streets. While running away from the scene can be very tempting and sounds like an easy way out, don’t. Again, don’t do it. Running away from the scene where the dog was injured will only do more harm than good to you. Instead, you should consider these tips after you’ve injured a dog on the streets:

You should stop and notify the authorities: There are state laws which require you to stop and notify the state or local police authority if you hit a domestic animal. If you don’t, you’ll be charged with leaving the scene of an accident. Additionally, it’s essential to call the authorities for two main reasons: to check what happened in the scene and to provide medical aid for the injured dog. Some injuries can worsen by the minute, so once you’ve seen that you’ve injured a dog on the street, call the authorities right away.

You should never move the dog unless you’re sure it’s safe to do so: If you can see that the dog is still alive, don’t do anything and wait for the authorities to arrive. They’re the best persons to decide what should be done at the scene. However, if the dog is in the middle of the road and could possibly be hit by other traffic, move the dog slowly. Keep in mind that a dog might bite when approached since he’s hurt, so always use common sense and caution while doing so. You can use gloves and a blanket to avoid direct contact with the dog, and this will also be a common-sense precaution.

You should be aware of the legal ramifications of moving the dog: Once you put the dog in your car, this means that you’re taking possession of the dog. Doing this will signify that you’ve become responsible for ensuring that it receives appropriate medical care and yes, you’re expected to pay for all the dog’s medical bills once you take possession of him. There are different laws in different states regarding this matter, so take the time to know what your state laws are.

Since you’re the person behind the wheel, you have legal responsibilities of what happened and why the dog was injured. The extent as to what are your responsibilities will depend on the state laws of where the accident happened, so make sure you’re aware of this information.

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So Who’s Liable for A Dog vs. Car Accident?

When a dog is injured on the streets, liability can be different compared to when an actual individual is hurt in the accident. The process of who’s going to pay what can also be very complicated as dogs cannot be held personally liable for the damages. To create a clearer picture in your mind, consider these points:

Usually, an accident with animals is considered as comprehensive claims and not collisions. This means that the accident is not considered to be anyone’s fault – it’s neither the driver nor the owners.

However, when an accident is caused by a domestic animal, the pet’s owner can be liable for failure to control the animal. But this will vary state to state. There are some states which have leash laws and other ordinances making the owner responsible for all the pet’s actions. So, if the pet causes an accident on the street, the owner is liable for the resulting claim. When these situations happen, the owner can be sued for the damages and pay for the driver’s deductibles.

There are also other states which work differently. There are states which put the responsibility on the drivers to avoid animal accidents. When a car injures a domestic animal on the streets, the driver is held liable for paying for the loss.

Being in this kind of situation can be very stressful, much more if you’re merely driving an Uber vehicle to earn a living when the accident happened. If this happens to you, you can always seek professional help from attorneys who are specializing in Uber car accidents. Hiring them might cost money from you but they will surely make the process easier for you.

#UberPUPPIES where Uber took the puppies to people at work.

Key Takeaway Points

No matter how careful you are, you can never control what will happen on the street – you’ll never know who will cross and when will they cross the streets. But since you’re the driver, you have legal liabilities once situations like these happen. There are certain measures which you should do to ensure that the situation at hand will not worsen. And if you’re a responsible driver, you should do all of these things without any hesitation. You shouldn’t run away from your responsibility and from looking after the injured dog.

Hopefully this has helped you understand your legal liabilities when injuring a dog on the street.

About the author:
Donna Williams loves writing about law and automotive topics for the common reader. As a professional writer for almost 10 years, Donna continues her passion for both writing and law through different law firms. She enjoys cooking with her siblings during her free time.