Owning a dog comes with a great deal of responsibility. While it is fulfilling to have a canine companion, individuals in Massachusetts and elsewhere who decide to own a dog must fully understand their obligations. Next to ensuring the health and wellbeing of the dog, dog owners need to understand how they can ensure others are protected from the potential harm a dog could cause. This means securing the dog within their property, using a leash when off their property and even posting signs that signal to visitors and trespassers that you have a dog on the premises.
Although it is cliché, most envision dogs chasing after postal workers versus a young child walking by the home. Although this has been glorified in films and cartoons, the reality is that mail carriers are put in harms way when they deliver mail to homes with dogs.
Are postal workers frequent victims of dog bites? Based on current data and statistics, the cliché has some truth to it. Compared to the previous year, there was a 3 percent increase in dog bites among mail carriers this past year. The number of dog attacks on postal workers last year amounted to 6,755 incidents. And, while there was an increase, researchers say it is not unusual to see these high numbers, especially in metropolitan areas where these larger cities have a denser population of people and pets.
While postal workers are likely to be victims of dog bites, the CDC also reports that children are frequent victims as well. In fact, those between the ages of five and nine have the highest rate of dog-related injuries. No matter who the victim is, if a dog harms a person, it is important to fully understand the matter. This means exploring if a negligent dog owner is to blame.
Victims could hold a negligent dog owner accountable through a personal injury action. This not only places liability on the owner, but also helps the victim recover compensation for losses and damages
