Since receiving her Juris Doctorate in 2005, Alison Mason Heurich has handled numerous extremely difficult personal injury and criminal defense cases in Maryland. Since 2005, Heurich has won millions of dollars for hundreds of clients, and Alison is tough, fair, knowledgeable about the law, and will work tirelessly to fight for the justice you deserve.
Thousands of people in the United States suffer very serious injuries from dog bites each year. If you or a loved one has suffered a physical injury and any subsequent emotional pain as a result of a dog attack, she will fight for your rights; she knows Maryland dog bite law, and she’ll help you understand even the most confusing aspects of your case.
Alison’s track record with large settlements speaks to her ability to fight tough cases and win. A family she represented was awarded $360,000 in a settlement after their child was bitten and suffered physical injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Dog Bite Law in Maryland
The statute of limitations for dog bite legal action in Maryland is three years from the date of the attack. Maryland’s dog bite laws were almost completely overhauled in 2014, and under the new Maryland law, an owner of a dog that is “running at large” when it attacks someone can be held “strictly liable” for injuries and damages caused by the animal. What is strict liability? No negligence or fault on the part of the owner needs to be proven.
Maryland dog bite law creates what is referred to as a “rebuttable presumption that the owner knew or should have known that the dog had vicious or dangerous propensities.” In order to avoid liability, the dog owner must prove he did not have that knowledge.
The owner of the dog may assert an affirmative defense if any of these conditions are present:
- The person was trespassing or attempting to trespass on the owner’s property
- The person was committing or attempting to commit another crime (besides trespassing) on the owner’s property
- The person was committing or attempting to commit a criminal offense against any other person
- The person was provoking, abusing, teasing, or tormenting the dog
In Maryland, the dog owner may face criminal charges if his dog killed or seriously injured someone. A dog deemed a “dangerous dog” is one that:
- “Without provocation has killed or inflicted severe injury on a person,”
- Was classified a “potentially dangerous dog,” then bit a person, killed or injured a domestic animal while off its owner’s property, or attacked without provocation.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured by a dog attack anywhere in Maryland, please contact Alison Mason Heurich, Esq. at 240-346-4883 or email her to schedule a complementary consultation today.
Alison Mason Heurich, Esq., Senior Attorney