Dog Laws In Georgia

While the owners of dogs are generally liable for injuries when they knew, or should have known, that a dog had a propensity to bite, owners of dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs are liable for injuries and damages caused by their dogs whether they were negligent or not.

Georgia dog owners can, however, be held liable for injuries under simple negligence if the owner was in violation of a local ordinance, such as a leash law.

Georgia law defines a “potentially dangerous dog” as a dog that, without provocation, bites a person.

Georgia defines a “dangerous dog” as any dog that 1) causes a substantial puncture of a person’s skin by teeth without causing serious injury, 2) aggressively attacks in a manner that causes a person to reasonably believe that the dog posed an imminent threat of serious injury or 3) while off the owner’s property, a dog kills a pet animal; however this shall not apply where the death of such pet animal is caused by a dog that is working or training as a hunting dog, herding dog, or predator control dog.

Landlords can be held liable for dog bite injuries caused by dogs owned by their tenants if the injured person can show that the injury occurred in a common area, and the landlord knew of the dog’s violent propensity or character.

Damages that can be recovered depend upon the nature and extent of injury, medical expenses, future medical expenses, lost wages, loss of earnings capacity, periods of total and/or partial disability, physical pain and mental suffering, disfiguring scarring, permanency of injury, and loss of consortium.

STATUTE OF LIMITATION:

In Georgia, the statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of injury. This means you must file a lawsuit against the owner/keeper of the dog within that time, or you will be forever time barred from pursuing a case.

LAW REFERENCE:

Georgia does not have a Dog Bite Statute.