House votes to hold dog owners liable for bites

Associated Press//March 12, 2014//

ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland House has joined the Senate in passing a compromise measure on dog-bite liability.

The House passed Del. Luiz Simmons’ bill unanimously on Wednesday. The Senate passed a parallel bill from Sen. Brian Frosh last month. Now one chamber must adopt the other’s bill before it can go to Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley for a signature.

The measure would hold dog owners liable for biting “innocent victims” unless they could prove they had no way to know their dogs were dangerous. It also overturns a 2012 court decision that designated pit bulls as “inherently dangerous.”

Both chambers passed an amendment to hold the owner liable anytime a dog bites someone while it’s running at large, unless the person was trespassing or provoking the dog.

Tags: General Assembly, legal news, dog bite liability, maryland

Select Region or Brand