Dog Bite FAQs

Our animal attack attorney has seen that a variety of factors can cause a dog to exhibit aggressive behavior. Dogs are animals, and under the right conditions, even the most friendly dog can bite. However, in most cases, a dog bites due to human negligence. This may be due to an owner’s failure to meet the dog’s needs or protect their personal space. According to the ASPCA, aggressive behavior can be attributed to several causes. 

Territorial and Protective Aggression

These causes of aggression may happen when a dog feels their environment is threatened. Many people own dogs in the hope that they will protect their home from intruders, but some dogs may misunderstand the distinction between a friend entering or visiting the home and a potential threat to their safety. 

Similarly, dogs may display protective aggression when they feel someone in their family is in danger. This can become a problem if the dog does not appropriately distinguish between a true threat to the family and family members who may be playing too roughly or a visitor the dog is unfamiliar with. 

Possessive Aggression

Possessive aggression can often manifest as resource guarding in our pets. This is a dog that becomes aggressive when you get too close to them with a toy, food, or other valued object. In some cases, the valued object could include their bed, kennel, or even the new baby. 

Defensive, Fearful, or Pain-Elicited Aggression

A dog that feels cornered or afraid can become aggressive. Although they will often try to escape or diffuse the situation with warning behaviors before attacking. However, they will bite if they feel they have no other option. Defensive aggression is often motivated by fear and is frequently displayed with the dog as the initiator. Similarly, a dog in pain is more likely to lash out to protect itself from further harm or injury. 

Frustration-Elicited and Redirected Aggression

Frustration-elicited aggression occurs when a dog is prevented from engaging in something they find exciting or stimulating. They can become frustrated and lash out at the person or leash that is restraining them. When you combine this with redirected aggression, where the dog lashes out at an interfering person or animal, the scene is beautifully set for disaster. 

Statistics show that certain dog breeds are involved in attacks more frequently than others. However, there are countless individual and social factors to consider when evaluating an animal’s aggressive tendencies based on its breed.

Some of the breeds more often associated with bite injuries and restrictive breed legislation are Rottweilers and Pit bull terriers. Others that rank higher on lists of prohibited breeds include:

• Bully breeds
• Wolf-dog hybrids
• Doberman pinschers
• Presa canario 
• Chow chow
• Cane corso 
• Mastiffs 

Though the above-mentioned breeds are more often reported for bites, any dog, regardless of breed, can become aggressive. Pet owners have a responsibility to their dogs and their community to take appropriate precautions to keep everyone safe.

Connecticut has a strict liability statute for most dog bite cases. Chapter 435, Section 22-357, states that it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that their dog is safely secured or handled. 

However, this statute allows some exceptions. An adult who is intentionally harassing, threatening, or harming the animal may be liable. Additionally, if you were attacked by a dog while trespassing, the owner may have a defense against liability for injuries their dog caused. 

Connecticut Comparative Negligence

Connecticut operates under modified comparative negligence laws. This prevents injury victims’ rights to recovery if they contribute to their injuries, provided they do not hold more than 50% of the responsibility. However, your compensation is reduced by the amount of liability you hold. 

For example, suppose the courts award a total of $100,000 in damages but determine you are 15% responsible for your injuries. In this case, you will receive $85,000 to account for your percentage responsibility. 

Connecticut does not have statewide leash laws. Though Statute 22-364 implements anti-roaming laws that make it unlawful for owners to allow their animals to roam on other people’s property. 

However, this does not mean that local municipalities do not have their own guidelines or leash laws in place. You should always check the local ordinances to avoid accidental violations. The best practice is to ensure your dog is on a leash and in your control in all areas outside of your home or designated off-leash spaces.

Many signs of aggression can be obvious, but dogs often exhibit several indicators of agitation or fear that escalate if ignored. 

Initial Warning Signs of an Aggressive Dog

Initial signs of an uncomfortable dog that may be about to bite can be seen in its body language. This might look like:

• Stiff posture
• Tense mouth 
• Seeing the white’s of the eyes (whale eyes)
• Panting when they are not hot or thirsty

You may find that these symptoms are accompanied by appeasement gestures, such as lip-licking in the absence of food or avoiding eye contact. Though these are often initial signs of discomfort or warning, if a dog is typically more anxious, they may be more inclined to bite sooner. 

Escalations of Canine Aggression

If these initial warning signs go ignored, a dog may escalate to behaviors that resemble the signs of aggression we are all more familiar with. According to the ASPCA, these may include:

• Lunging forward without making contact 
• Showing teeth
• Gutteral growl 
• Making aggressive contact with their nose (muzzle punch) 
• Nip (making contact with teeth without breaking skin)
• Bite 

Many of the indicators preceding a bite will require context to be interpreted appropriately. However, in most cases of a bite, you may identify some or many of these warning signs after the fact. 

You will likely see many of these signs before a dog bites. However, not every dog will exhibit every sign in a specific order. You may find that dogs who are injured will escalate more quickly, or dogs who are punished for growling may be more inclined to skip those warning signs and attack more quickly. 

We categorize dog bites into one of six categories based on the animal’s behavior and the injuries the bite causes. This is often referred to as The Dog Bite Scale:

Level 1: Obnoxious or aggressive behavior without teeth contacting the skin. This is not necessarily a dangerous or aggressive dog, but rather one that lacks adequate training or exercise

Level 2: Teeth make contact with the skin, but do not puncture. A level two bite may cause a scratch or nick less than 1/10 of an inch deep

Level 3: Bite leaves 1-4 punctures from a single bite. Punctures are less than half the depth of the dog’s canine teeth. The dog should be considered dangerous and receive significant bite inhibition training

Level 4: 1-4 punctures, at least one of which is deeper than half the length of the dog’s teeth. A dog that does a level four bite has insufficient bite inhibition and should be considered incredibly dangerous

Level 5: Indicates multiple bite instances with at least two of them meeting level four bite or multiple attack incidents with one of them meeting level 4 criteria. 

Level 6: Fatal bite. Levels 5 and 6 likely indicate the dog is unsafe around people. Professionals may advise euthanasia to protect the safety of others and the dog’s quality of life.

Our Connecticut law firm has provided a detailed explanation of the dog bite scale and other related matters for those pursuing action against a negligent dog owner.

Situational awareness goes a long way in protecting your children from a dog attack. Stay aware of indicators that a dog is uncomfortable or afraid. Encourage your children to maintain predictable behavior to avoid surprising or startling the dog. One of the most important things you can do is teach your children how to interact appropriately with a dog. Show them how to respect their space and pet them appropriately. 

Bites are not uncommon in situations where children are rough with the dog, or invade their space, even with a dog that has otherwise been docile and friendly.

If your neighbor’s dog attacks you on their property, it can be difficult to determine your next steps. Regardless of the situation, there are a few things you should do:

• Get to Safety: Get yourself away from the animal and to a safe place
• Seek Medical Care: Even if the bite does not appear severe at first, they are vulnerable to complications. When you find a doctor immediately, you create documentation of your injuries and prevent unnecessary complications
• Call Animal Control: Report the situation to Connecticut Animal Control so they can investigate the situation and enforce the necessary penalties
• Contact Police: Calling police will ensure that the authorities respond to the situation, and the assigned officers will complete an incident report to document what happened. 
• Collect Information: Attempt to obtain the owner’s contact information and the animal’s vaccination records.

Once you have made contact with the appropriate authorities and addressed any injuries, you might want to consider speaking with an attorney to discuss your options for compensation. Dog bites can be expensive and have a lasting impact on your quality of life, and you should not have to cope with these losses alone. 

Due to the strict liability practices in Connecticut, dog bite victims are often able to sue the dog’s owner with very few exceptions. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure their animal is safe to be in public and appropriately controlled in most circumstances. You may face more challenges in pursuing a successful lawsuit or settlement for a police dog bite. Working with a Connecticut animal attack lawyer may provide clarification on your grounds to sue.

It can be difficult to determine the value of a dog bite case at first glance. There are many factors that can impact the damages you recover. A Connecticut dog bite lawyer will review the details of your case to determine the damages you may claim. 

These often include expenses such as medical bills, lost wages from missed work, or pain and suffering. In some situations, you may also request compensation for other ways the bite has affected your life. As you consider the relevant factors, you may be able to gain a more accurate idea of what you could expect from a dog bite lawsuit. 

Most civil situations have a time limit known as the statute of limitations. According to the Connecticut General Assembly, Sec. 52-584  states that you must file a lawsuit within two years of the incident. However, if you are pursuing a claim against the police department or other government entity, you may have less time to act. 

Surviving an animal attack can be traumatic, and in some cases, fatal. If you or a loved one has suffered at the hands of a negligent dog owner, you need the support of a Connecticut dog bite attorney. At Tehrani Law Group, we have multiple locations across the state to provide ease of access.

Dogs are animals, and with inadequate care and irresponsible owners, any dog will bite. Pursuing a lawsuit against a negligent owner can protect your community and the quality of life for the animal. Call us today to schedule a free legal consultation and discuss your options for holding negligent owners accountable.