Dog Bite Provocation: How the Defense Works and How It Fails

Key Takeaways Provocation is the insurer’s most common defense in a dog bite case. Even in strict liability states, the owner is off the hook if you provoked the dog. Provocation means genuinely inciting, tormenting, or attacking the dog, not walking past a fence, ringing a doorbell, reaching to pet, or making an unexpected noise. […]