Dog Owner Liable For Dog's Biting

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - With the number of dog bites estimated at more than 4.5 million a year, who is responsible if your dog bites someone?

An Italian rugby player was forced to miss the Six Nation's match against Scotland last month after he was bitten on the nose by his friend's dog and required 12 stitches or, as they say in rugby, got a slight boo boo.

I am certain that rugby players know just how to exact justice when someone does them wrong but, in the United States, what is the legal recourse if you are bitten by a dog?

And what happens to you if you are the owner of said dog?

In most states, the owner of the dog is legally liable to a victim who was bitten even if the dog had never bitten anyone in the past and the owner had no reason to believe it was dangerous.

A dog bite victim can sue for the cost of medical treatment, psychological counseling, missed work or damage to clothes. There are now lawyers who specifically advertise their services to dog bite victims. Many - but not all - homeowner policies cover dog bites, and some exclude some breeds of dogs from their coverage. So, before you invite your rugby buddies over to your house, pull out and read your homeowners policy to make sure a lack of coverage doesn't come back to bite you.