Vet bills-Rental/Homeowners Insurance

[WonderingUtah]

What is the name of your state? Utah

Friday night my neighbor's dog (a pitbull) jumped our fence and attacked my yorkie (a small bred dog). She sustained massive chest wounds and at this point her vet bills are over $2000.00 She needs a surgery to fix her flail chest and broken sternum and the vet has said the surgery will be approx. $2000.00. I went and talked to my neighbor and she told me she is renting and gave me her landlord's information. I contacted the landlord and she told me her homeowner's insurance wouldn't cover anything and the renter does not have rental insurance. I am doubting that I will be able to get any money out of my neighbor, even if I file a law suit. Is it true that the landlord's homeowner's insurance is not liable at all? What else am I suppose to do? I am completely bewildered here. I have paid for the vet bills, but I don't have that type of money to just take on a $4000.00 debt for something that was completely not my fault. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you.What is the name of your state?

 

[CCMominVA]

So sorry to hear about your dog! I'm not sure that the landlord's homeowner's insurance will pay for it, but it doesn't hurt to file the claim and see what happens. If nothing else, small claims court. OH, and definitely make a report to your local animal control officials so that this bite will be on record!!! Good luck!

Check out www.dogbitelaw.com....you can even send an email to the lawyer on that site and he'll get back to you. There are state laws on that website in regards to dog bites as well.

Here's what it reads for Utah:

Utah State dog bite statute
Utah has a law that is favorable to dog bite victims because it makes owners and keepers of dogs liable for all injuries, whether resulting from bites or any other conduct of the dogs:

Utah Code Section 18-1-1. Liability of owners -- Scienter -- Dogs used in law enforcement. Every person owning or keeping a dog shall be liable in damages for injury committed by such dog, and it shall not be necessary in any action brought therefor to allege or prove that such dog was of a vicious or mischievous disposition or that the owner or keeper thereof knew that it was vicious or mischievous; but neither the state nor any county, city, or town in the state nor any peace officer employed by any of them shall be liable in damages for injury committed by a dog when: (1) The dog has been trained to assist in law enforcement, and (2) the injury occurs while the dog is reasonably and carefully being used in the apprehension, arrest, or location of a suspected offender or in maintaining or controlling the public order.

 

[moburkes]

The renter is the responsible party, not the landlord. Sorry. Small claims court it is!

 

[Betty]

Yep - the renter is the responsible party - the landlord is not the owner/keeper of the pitbull.