Virginia Dog Bite Lawyer

Virginia does not have a dog bite statute, however, the Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that the state applies a variation of the “one-bite” rule to dog bite cases. Generally, the courts have ruled that a dog owner can be held liable for injuries caused by the dog if they knew that it had vicious tendencies or could be vicious to others. If the dog owner did not know about its viciousness (or if the victim is unable to prove that they knew), then they can still be held liable under principles of negligence. In order to establish a negligence claim, the victim must show that the owner was careless in controlling or restraining their dog, and that this carelessness led to the victim’s injuries. Generally, an owner can shield themselves from liability if they can prove that, at the time of the bite, the victim was either (1) provoking the dog or (2) trespassing.