A blog for attorneys & dog bite victims by animal behavior expert, Richard Polsky, PhD. The dog bite injury blog was created to report current news about injury caused to people as a result of being attacked by a canine. An animal behavior perspective is used. Stories for inclusion have been carefully chosen based on where the incident happened, the breed of dog involved, the nature of the injury, legal implications, and whether a canine fatality occurred.
Any dog in California seized from an illegal fighting ring in California will no longer be considered inherently vicious according to recently enacted legislation. A welcomed new law, California Assembly Bill #1825, was approved andRead More
Research has demonstrated that people living in areas areas of low socioeconomic status are bitten and attacked by dogs more frequently than people in neighborhoods of greater affluence. This in part promptedRead More
There are two kinds of expert witnesses an attorney may use to render expert opinion and testimony in police dog bite lawsuits. First, there is an animal behavior expert. Second,Read More
In dog bite lawsuits the doctrine of assumption of risk may be used to limit the liability of the defendant. The doctrine states that the plaintiff assumes the risk ofRead More
A July 2016 dog bite incident involving a retired police K-9 in Riverside, California provides another example illustrating the potentially dangerous and unpredictable nature of canines trained for suspect apprehension byRead More
More people in Texas are killed by dogs than any other state in the United States. In a previous post, I have offered reasons for this which I believe in part mayRead More
A 52-year-old lady was killed in the southern section of Dallas Texas on May 2, 2016 by a pack of stray dogs. The family of the victim is demanding $5 millionRead More
A frequently asked question in dog bite lawsuits is whether breed differences between dogs was a factor contributing to the incident in question. This makes sense from the perspective of the plaintiff.Read More
The techniques underlying dog bite safety and prevention programs are largely based on the beliefs that: Dog bite frequently can be reduced provided people are educated about canine body language andRead More
The circumstances surrounding a fatal dog attack in California in April, 2016 on a three-day-old infant suggests that the dog’s predatory inclinations may have been at work. In this fatal dogRead More
