What Happens if I'm Attacked by a Dog in an Apartment Complex?

Dog attacks can happen in common areas and other places of apartment complexes. Injuries from dog attacks can be quite severe – permanent scars, emotional trauma, blood infections, and broken bones are just a few injuries that dog attacks can cause. What does any of this have to do with apartment complexes? Well, medical treatment and compensation for injuries is hard to get if there is no insurance involved. Making matters worse, renters don’t always have insurance that would typically cover dog attacks.

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Can landlords or management companies be sued? Generally speaking, making claims against a landlord or property management company for a dog attack is difficult, but not impossible. Typically, in order to sue a landlord or management company for injuries caused by a resident’s dog the landlord or management company have to know about the dangerous dog and then fail to take some kind of action like removing the dog. Proving that a landlord or management company knew about a dangerous dog can be tough, but again, not impossible.

Some leases prohibit dogs in some way or another. That can be by size, breed, or even a ban on dogs all together. If there are dog restrictions on leases and a landlord knows about the prohibited dog but doesn’t do anything to remove the dog then that can be good evidence of the landlord’s negligence. It is important to remember that each circumstance is different. Some circumstances in one case may have a totally different result in another similar case.

What do I do if there is a dangerous dog in my apartment complex?

If you know of a dog that has attacked, bitten, or been aggressive to humans or other dogs, the best thing to do is send the landlord and management company an email, letter, or even a message on social media about the dog. Hopefully, someone with the power to do something will take action so others won’t be hurt in the future.

If you or someone you know was attack by a dog in an apartment complex, it’s always a good idea to talk to a lawyer to figure out the best way to handle dog attack claims.

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