Free Consultation: 800-937-8443

Free Consultation: 800-937-8443

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has published its annual dog attack city rankings for the 2017 year. Houston led the nation with 71 USPS delivery personnel being attacked in 2017. That was up from 62 in 2016. Louisville ranked 9th with 39 attacks. That number was down significantly from 51 in 2016.

Tech and Training

Along with its annual risk of city rankings, the USPS displayed new technology that can warn pickup and delivery personnel on their package scanners of dogs on their routes. This information is of great help to substitute delivery personnel who are pinch hitting for regular carriers. Dog bite prevention training is also provided.

Strict Liability

Pursuant to section 258.235(4) of the Kentucky revised statutes, Kentucky is what’s known as a strict dog bite liability state. There’s no “one free bite” rule. What that means is that so long as a dog isn’t teased or provoked, its owner or keeper can be liable for an attack regardless of whether the dog has displayed aggressive tendencies in the past. It’s irrelevant whether the owner or keeper exercises reasonable care to control the dog. Injuries aren’t limited to bites either. For example, if a person’s dog is happy to see Aunt Millie and jumps up on her to greet her and knocks her down, that dog’s owner or keeper can be held liable for any injuries and damages. Kentucky law even provides that owners or keepers of dogs can be held liable for a dog’s attack on livestock.

Dog bite injuries can be serious. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost of dog bite injury claims paid in 2017 was just over $37,000. Aside from lacerations and scarring, other injuries like the following can be suffered:

  • Crushed bones, tendons and ligaments.
  • Permanent nerve damage.
  • Permanent muscle damage.
  • Infection.

Federal Employment Compensation Act

If a USPS delivery person is acting in the course and scope of his or her employment, any injuries suffered from a dog attack are likely covered by the Federal Employment Compensation Act (FECA). Although the general rule is that FECA is the delivery person’s sole and exclusive remedy, an exception arises when the delivery person is injured as a result of a condition existing on property that is owned or occupied by somebody else. Under those circumstances, an injured postal worker can bring an actual civil lawsuit against the homeowner, renter or business. Such a lawsuit permits compensation for damages over and above those contemplated by FECA. In order to maximize the compensation that you might receive for your injuries, you’ll want to talk with us about that.

Contact a Louisville Dog Bite Lawyer

Kentucky law only allows you one year from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for your injuries. You need to act quickly. You can arrange for a free consultation and case review with a Louisville dog bite lawyer from our law firm by simply calling or emailing us. We’ll carefully listen to you, answer your questions and advise you on your legal options. You can leave your wallet at home too. That’s because if we’re retained to represent you, we don’t even charge any legal fees unless we obtain a settlement or verdict for you. Whether you’re a USPS employee or not, don’t hesitate to contact us about any injuries that you suffered in a dog attack anywhere in or around Louisville.

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