What to Do If You Are Bitten by a Service Animal

Imagine you are walking down the streets of Salt Lake City. A short distance in front of you there is a disabled individual led by a leashed service dog walking towards you. You don’t think anything, but as you are passing the service dog snaps out and bites you. You are going to be ok, but what are some of your options moving forwards? Contacting a dog bite lawyer is the first step in making sure the incident is resolved in the proper legal fashion.

Maybe you aren’t comfortable contacting a dog bite lawyer. After all, the owner of the dog is disabled and you don’t want to make a fuss. Maybe you think that your injury is just part of the necessary risk to ensure equality for disabled people. On the other hand, being silent isn’t going to help anyone—not in Salt Lake City or anywhere.

If you have been bitten by a service animal, don’t just shrug it off. The incident may not be isolated and it’s important to take the necessary steps to ensure that others aren’t bitten as well. Don’t think about it as fighting against disabled people, but helping to improve their service dog’s public training. Whether you are in Salt Lake City or any major city, talking to a dog bite lawyer will ensure that the right people are held liable for your injury.

Even if you haven’t been bitten by a service animal, you should speak up if you see a service dog that:

·       Barks or makes excessive noise.

·       Gets distracted from his or her task. In public, a service dog is expected to focus on their service task.

·       Wanders far away from his or her handler. This is an indicator that the dog needs more training.

·       Disobeys commands. A service dog is expected to obey all his or her handler’s commands. If the handler commands the dog to “stay” and the dog disobeys, that dog needs better training.

·       Exhibits aggressive or out-of-control behavior. There is no circumstance when a service dog should attack or injure anybody, period.

Whether you live in Salt Lake City or anywhere else in the country, service dogs are expected to behave in a safe and professional way. If a dog exhibits any of these behaviors he or she will need to have additional training before going in public to perform service tasks. If you have been bitten by a service dog, talk to a dog bite lawyer. He or she will help you receive compensation for your injury, and by doing so, that service dog will be subject to further training.

Joshua Valdivia is a legal writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry. Follow on Twitter.