Indiana dog bite law states that the owner of a dog who inflicts injury on someone else is responsible for the dog’s actions if he or she is found to be negligent. But what actually constitutes dog-owner negligence in Indiana? Very simply, pet owner negligence takes place when a dog’s owner is unreasonably careless. Negligence must usually be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Let’s look at a few examples:

• The dog is not leashed during a walk in an area with a leash law. 
• A dog owner left the gate of a dog’s pen or fenced area open. 
• A dog owner exposed its dog to others even though he knew about the dog’s aggressive behavior or biting history. 
• A dog owner exposed his dog to others even when he knew that the dog was not well-behaved or properly trained for the particular circumstances (around strangers or in a strange environment, for example). 
• The dog owner failed to supervise his dog when it was around children. 
• The dog owner’s rope, chain, or leash is not strong enough to contain the dog. 
• The dog escapes from an owner’s property because of an obviously deficient fence or barrier, such as a fence that is too low, a damaged fence, or a fence with a poor locking mechanism. 
• A dog owner fails to post a BEWARE OF DOG sign on his property if he is keeping historically dangerous or aggressive pets.

Have you or a loved one been injured by a dog in an Indiana dog attack? If so, it is important for you to understand what caused the attack and who was responsible. If you believe that the dog’s owner was negligent – and that his or her negligence was a direct cause of the injury, contact our Indianapolis dog bite attorneys today. Our experienced, knowledgeable dog bite lawyers offer a private, free consultation to injury victims. To learn more, contact Keller & Keller LLP today at 800.253.5537.