If you or a loved one was bitten and suffered an injury from someone else's dog, you may be able to receive compensation for your injuries. Here are the three things your case will need to have in order to increase your chance of winning your case in New Jersey based on current laws and statues. 

#1 Correctly Identify The Owner Of The Dog

The first thing you need to do is correctly identify the owner of the dog in question that attacked you or your loved one. This can be easy to do if you already knew the dog and the owner in question.

However, if the attack was by a random dog at the dog park, you would need to make sure that you identify the owners of the dog. It is vital that you ask the person whom the dog was with if they are the owners of the dog. If they are just a dog walker or dog sitter, you will need to get the information for the actual owner.

You have a much higher chance of your case being successful in New Jersey if you are suing the owner of the dog. The owner of the dog is responsible for their dog's actions; a dog walker, dog sitter or family friend cannot be held responsible for the action of a dog they were just taking care of it in New Jersey.

#2 Establish Your Right To Be At The Scene Of The Attack

The second thing that you need to do in order to have a successful dog bite injury case in New Jersey is to prove that you or your loved one had a right to be where the attack took place.

For example, if the attack occurred at a public park or zoo, you would need to establish that the park or zoo was open during the hours of the attack and that you were permitted to be on the premise at that time.

If the attack occurred on private property, you will need to establish that you had a right to be there and had permission to be on said property. For example, you can prove that you were invited over to the house of a friend through evidence in a text message, voicemail or phone call. You can also use witness testimony to prove that you had permission to be on the property.

The key is to prove that you were not trespassing somewhere you didn't have permission to be when the attack occurred; if you didn't have permission to be there, it will be much more complicated for you to win your case. 

#3 Establish That The Incident Actually Occurred

Finally, you will need to establish that the dog bite actually occurred, and that it occurred where you said that it did. 

You can establish this in a variety of ways, although the most common way is through witness testimony as well as emergency response records if 911 was called at the time of the attack.

If you know the legal owner of the dog that attacked you or your loved one, you can prove that you had a lawful right to be in the location where the attach too place, and you have evidence that supports that the attack actually happened, you stand a good chance of winning a dog bite lawsuit in New Jersey. Now all you need to do is contact an attorney, such as those at Scherline And Associates, who specializes in dog-bite cases to assist you.