On April 17, 2025, the New York Court of Appeals handed down an important decision in Flanders v. Goodfellow (2025 NY Slip Op 02261). This decision expands the ways dog owners can be held accountable for dog bite injury victims. Dog owners must now act with reasonable care to prevent dog bites and attacks. Dog bite victims can now sue for simple negligence if a dog owner fails to act to take common sense precautions to prevent a bite or attack.
What does the New Negligence Standard mean?
The focus is now on the owner’s actions or inactions, such as:
- Failure to use leashes.
- Failure to use lock gates or install fences to keep dogs contained.
- Failure to post “Dog on Premises” signs.
- Failure to watch for signs of aggression, like excessive barking or growling.
- Failure to properly restrain dogs
- Failure to leash a dog in a park
- Failure to monitor a dog in a park
- Failure to take reasonable precautions
- Failure to respond to any signs of emerging aggression
- Failure to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harm
Can a Landlord Be Liable for a Tenant’s Dog?
Yes. A landlord can be liable for injuries caused by a tenant’s dog. The dog bite victim must prove that the landlord had actual knowledge of the presence of the dog and the dog’s vicious propensity to bite humans. Landlords can even be held liable for attacks that occur off their premises if the landlord had the right to evict the tenant because of the dog.
Damages in Dog Bite Cases
- Bone fracture
- Nerve damage
- Face injuries
- Eye injuries
- Head trauma
- Physical pain
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
- Puncture wounds
- Loss of sensation & numbness
- Loss of strength
- Rabies
- Infection
- Muscle damage
- Emotional distress/trauma
- Medical bills
- Lost wages/loss of income
Steps to take if bitten or attacked by a do
- Take photos of where the attack took place, especially pictures of an open gate or a lack of signs
- Take photos of your injuries
- Gather names of witnesses
- File a report with local police
- File a report with the local department of health
- Hire an experienced dog bite lawyer to recover the compensation you deserve.
Don’t be a Victim Twice – Call 1-800-Victim2
If you or a loved one was the victim of a dog bite attack, the New York Dog Bite Lawyers at Greenstein & Pittari, LLP are here to help. They are ready to guide you through the process. The New York Dog Bite Attorneys at Greenstein & Pittari, LLP are skilled at handling dog bite cases. We have decades of experience helping dog bite victims recover the compensation they deserve.
We have seven convenient locations throughout New York. We maintain offices in Harlem, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Yonkers, and Nassau County. Your convenience is our top priority!
Our firm’s motto is “Don’t Be A Victim Twice”. If you are a victim of a dog bite, call 1-800-VICTIM2 (1-800-842-8462) to speak with the experienced New York Dog Bite Lawyers at Greenstein & Pittari, LLP. The call is free. The consultation is free. You don’t pay us unless we are successful. That’s our “Our Fee Guarantee – No Fee Unless Successful.”