New Hampshire Dog Bite Lawyer

New Hampshire’s dog bite statute, N.H. Rev. Stat. § 466:19, imposes strict liability upon dog owners. Specifically, the owner can be held strictly liable if their dog causes harm to someone or their property. Victims are not required to prove that the owner was somehow negligent or failed to control their dog. However, the owner will not be held liable if the victim was commiting a trespass or another tort at the time of the incident. For non-bite injuries caused by a dog, the victim of such injuries may have to rely on a different theory of liability, such as negligence, in order to recover damages. A negligence claim requires the victim to prove that the owner owed them a duty (here, a duty to exercise reasonable care in controlling or restraining the dog), the owner breached that duty, and their injuries were proximately caused by this breach.