Utah Dog Bite Lawyer

Utah’s dog bite statute, Utah Code § 18-1-1, imposes strict liability upon dog owners. This means that the owner will be held strictly liable for injuries that their dog inflicted on another person, even if they took reasonable precautions to keep the dog from biting other people. This statute does not cover bite injuries only, but rather, it covers any injuries caused by a dog attack in general (for example, injuries resulting from the dog knocking a person off of their bicycle). The statute specifically states that whether or not the owner knew their dog was vicious or mischievous is irrelevant for purposes of determining the owner’s liability. There are exceptions that do not hold liable any peace officers, counties, cities, and towns from liability for injuries caused by law enforcement animals.