The Dog Bite Reporting Process in NJ
- Call the local health department or report the attack online and provide details of the incident.
- You may also call your local police department to report a dog bite, particularly if you feel the dog or the owner poses a danger to others.
- Consult with a local New Jersey dog bite lawyer to confirm your reports and identify evidence from the reporting you may later need for a potential case against the dog’s owner.
Coordinating Dog Bite Reports with a Physician
In addition to the dog owner or the bite victim reporting a dog bite, New Jersey law requires physicians to report all dog bites within 12 hours of the bite victim arriving for treatment. When you arrive at the emergency room or doctor’s office for dog bite treatment, the doctor will ask for a description of the incident, including the time and location of the dog attack and a description of the dog that bit you. These details will be crucial for reporting the dog bite and confirming the identity of the animal involved.Reported Animals Confined Under NJRS 26:4-82
Under the New Jersey Revised Statutes 26:4:82, animals reported to the authorities after a dog bite can be confined within the owner’s home or at an approved animal care facility if it’s found the owner cannot care for the animal within the home. This process ensures that if the dog is diagnosed with rabies, the dog cannot then spread the condition to other people or animals. At the end of the ten days, an Animal Control office will determine whether the animal is healthy. However, the officer may require the owner to display warning signs on their property if the dog is deemed dangerous and keep a muzzle on the dog during walks and any other time the animal is outside the home.How Can Bite Reporting Help with My Dog Bite Settlement Case?
Reporting your dog bite is an instrumental first step in your dog bite case. It’s this initial first step that begins the evidence collection process and helps bring together the medical evidence and government documentation to link the dog attack with your injuries. Reporting the dog bite helps support your dog bite settlement process by:- Ensuring there’s a copy of the police and animal control reports
- Immediately informing the owner of the attack.
- Providing a basis for beginning insurance communications
