If you have suffered injuries from a dog bite or animal attack in Tennessee, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering. Understanding your legal rights helps you pursue appropriate compensation while navigating the sometimes complex liability laws that apply to animal attacks in the state.
Tennessee Code Title 44-8-413 establishes that dog owners must keep their animals under reasonable control at all times and prevent them from running at large, making owners legally responsible when this duty is breached.
Circumstances where the owner may be held liable
As a dog bite victim in Tennessee, your ability to recover compensation depends on several key factors that establish pet owner liability:
- Attacks in public spaces: If you were bitten in a park, on a sidewalk or in another public location, Tennessee law holds the owner liable even without prior knowledge of dangerous tendencies, as specifically mentioned in the statute
- Injuries on non-residential private property: When your attack occurred while lawfully visiting someone else’s non-residential property, such as making a delivery or attending a business meeting, the owner faces liability without requiring proof they knew about aggressive behavior
- Dogs running loose or uncontrolled: If you were injured by a dog that was running at large or not properly controlled, the law holds the owner responsible based on their failure to meet their statutory duty of reasonable control
- Residential property incidents: For bites occurring on the owner’s residential property, Tennessee law requires you to prove the owner knew or should have known about their dog’s dangerous propensities, establishing a different standard than for public locations
- Professional caretaker responsibility: If you were attacked by an animal under temporary professional care, Tennessee law distinguishes between temporary and regular handlers, which affects liability determination
Seeking legal guidance after suffering a dog bite helps you understand your rights, collect appropriate evidence, and pursue fair compensation while navigating Tennessee-specific liability laws for animal attacks.
