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- Dog bite statistics
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What people write to Attorney Phillips...
"I recently purchased and viewed your DVD on the anatomy of a dog bite case. I greatly appreciated your insight and I'm sure it will pay dividends as I pursue my client's claims."
Michael M.
Massachusetts Dog Bite Law
Massachusetts is a strict liability state.
- Overview
- Litigation forms and other materials for attorneys
- If your case involves injury to a dog, see What To Do If Your Dog Is Injured or Killed
Overview
Massachusetts has one of the best laws for the protection of dog bite victims, especially young children. A dog owner or keeper is strictly liable for dog bites unless the victim was trespassing, teasing, tormenting or abusing the dog, or was committing another tort. A child under the age of 7 is presumed to have done none of those things, but the presumption is rebuttable.
General Laws of Massachusetts, Chapter 140: Section 155. Liability for damage caused by dog; minors; presumption and burden of proof.
Section 155. If any dog shall do any damage to either the body or property of any person, the owner or keeper, or if the owner or keeper be a minor, the parent or guardian of such minor, shall be liable for such damage, unless such damage shall have been occasioned to the body or property of a person who, at the time such damage was sustained, was committing a trespass or other tort, or was teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog. If a minor, on whose behalf an action under this section is brought, is under seven years of age at the time the damage was done, it shall be presumed that such minor was not committing a trespass or other tort, or teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog, and the burden of proof thereof shall be upon the defendant in such action.
A person who is injured by a dog in this state also may use the other common grounds for liability. They are scienter, negligence, and negligence per se. For further information about these causes of action, see Legal Rights of Dog Bite Victims in the USA.
Options for you on this site
If you were bitten by a dog, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. It's done by email to protect your privacy. He will discuss your options without charge.
If you are a lawyer, tell him about your case and he will suggest solutions. He can spend an hour on the phone with you for strategizing, connecting you with experts, and sending you pleadings, discovery documents, motions and other materials. Or get a set of the same templates that he uses for dog bite cases all over the USA.
If your dog was injured or killed, get the self-help book he wrote to tell you how to make the guilty party reimburse you and compensate you for what you are going through.
Dog trainers and rescues, get the video of his seminar that comes with essential legal documents that will protect you and your business if you are injured or accused of being liable for an injury.
Landlords and property managers can protect themselves and their tenants from the consequences of vicious dogs on the rental premises by using the Lease Addendum: Pets written by Mr. Phillips.
Just about all the documents a plaintiff's attorney will need, for less than the cost of typing them. Complaint, interrogatories, document production requests, admissions, witness list, petition for approval of minor's compromise (structured settlement), order approving minor's compromise, and Kenneth Phillips' 50-page deposition outline that covers every issue that can arise in a dog bite case. Save hours of work with the Dog Bite Litigation Forms for Plaintiffs' Lawyers. Good throughout the USA. Available just one minute after you purchase them at the Dog Bite Law Bookstore. Download and use today.
Anatomy of a Dog Bite Case is Mr. Phillips' 2-1/2 hour video seminar for plaintiffs' lawyers, containing tips and tricks, practice pointers and winning strategies that cannot be found anywhere else. A highly rated legal best-seller. Covers case selection, establishing liability, dealing with defenses, settlement and litigation throughout the USA. Available for immediate download.