Personal Injury

Dog Bite Lawyers in Atlantic Canada

Michael Murphy, K.C. at his desk in the firm's Moncton office

None of the four Atlantic provinces has the strict-liability dog statute that Ontario has. A dog bite lawyer here proves the claim under the common law: the owner failed to control a dog they should have controlled, or knew the dog was dangerous and kept it anyway. The recovery comes from the owner’s home insurance, and the claim has two years.

What a Dog Bite Lawyer Proves in Every Province

Negligence and scienter are the two routes in every province, and we plead both. Municipal animal control bylaws set the leash and muzzle rules. A breach of them is evidence of negligence, and the animal control officer’s file is the foundation of the claim. Children are bitten more than anyone, on the face and hands. Every province stops the limitation clock for a minor, so a family can wait for a scar to mature before valuing it. No cap applies, because the caps are confined to auto claims. The provincial health insurer’s costs are recovered inside the action.

PEI’s Dog Owners Act and the Occupiers’ Statutes Differ by Province

Prince Edward Island has a Dog Owners Act that adds statutory duties on an owner. Nova Scotia and PEI have Occupiers’ Liability Acts that add a duty to visitors bitten on the owner’s premises. New Brunswick and Newfoundland rely on the common law alone. Small claims limits differ: $20,000 in New Brunswick, $25,000 in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and the Small Claims Section’s limit in PEI.

The Firm Runs Bite Claims in All Four Provinces

In New Brunswick the claim pleads negligence and scienter in the Court of King’s Bench. In Nova Scotia and PEI the claim adds the Occupiers’ Liability Act count, and in PEI the Dog Owners Act duties. In Newfoundland it pleads the occupier’s duty under the common law. On every file the first step is the same: the animal control file, the medical record and photographs of the wound as it heals. The claim then goes to the owner’s home insurer, and is filed in court before the two years run.

Dog Bite Claims Differ by Province

A Claim Against a Friend or Relative Is Paid by Their Insurer

It is a claim on their homeowner’s or tenant’s policy, and the insurer pays it. Families bring these claims because a child’s scar is compensated once or not at all, and the relationship is a reason to handle the claim carefully.

Will the Dog Be Destroyed?

That is the municipality’s decision under its bylaw. The civil claim asks for money and does not require it.

What Is a Facial Scar on a Child Worth?

It depends on the scar’s final appearance after the revisions a growing face will need, the child’s age, and the psychological effect. A dog bite lawyer values it once the evidence allows.

The firm’s dog bite claim guide covers the claim in more detail. Reported decisions are on the results page.

No Fee Unless the Claim Resolves

The first call is free and a lawyer takes it. There is no fee unless the claim resolves, and the firm carries the records and expert costs through the life of the claim. Contact the firm, or read what the firm can do.