What damages can you recover for an animal attack?
Depending on the seriousness of your injuries resulting from an animal attack, you may be entitled to recover for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage.
In some instances, you may also be entitled to punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded to punish someone for his or her behavior. To justify an award of punitive damages, the wrongdoer’s conduct usually must be more than negligent, such as reckless or intentional conduct. For example, if a dog owner knew his dog was very dangerous, yet repeatedly allowed the dog to run free near a school, and the dog eventually attacked a child, a jury could conclude that punitive damages were appropriate. The amount of punitive damages is not necessarily related to the actual damages one sustains but, rather, to how outrageous the animal owner’s actions were.