If a dog recently bit you without breaking the skin, you may question whether you have a viable case. Many individuals often assume the law requires visible bleeding to file a claim. However, in New Jersey, that is not always the case.
What counts as a dog bite in New Jersey
Under New Jersey statute, a dog bite occurs whenever a dog’s teeth make forceful contact with your body. The law does not require the skin to break or bleed to qualify. If a dog bites you, the owner bears strict liability for your damages.
Additionally, New Jersey does not follow the ‘one-bite rule’, meaning the law does not require prior aggression for you to file a claim. This legal framework clarifies why bleeding is not the determining factor for a dog bite case.
Why bleeding is not the legal standard
Not every bite penetrates the skin, but that does not diminish the severity of the injury. A dog’s jaws can exert hundreds of pounds of pressure per square inch, causing considerable harm even through heavy clothing. Hence, if a dog knocks you down without biting, you may still pursue a claim under general negligence, sustaining injuries equally significant to those from any visible wound.
Injuries that can happen without bleeding
Even without visible wounds, a dog attack can still cause serious physical and emotional harm. The force behind a bite does not need to break the skin to affect your daily life.
In fact, a dog attack can cause a range of injuries that are not always visible, including:
- Deep tissue bruising: The pressure from a bite can damage muscle and tissue beneath the skin without breaking the surface.
- Nerve damage: A forceful bite can compress or injure nerves, leading to numbness, tingling or lasting pain.
- Bone fractures: A strong bite can fracture small bones in your hands, wrists or feet.
- Back or head injuries: If the dog knocked you down during the attack, you may have sustained a fall-related injury unrelated to the bite itself.
- Emotional distress: A dog attack can trigger anxiety, sleep disturbances and post-traumatic stress disorder, regardless of whether your skin broke.
These injuries may require medical attention, therapy or time away from work. The absence of bleeding does not diminish the significance of your experience. Knowing this, you can take the next step toward understanding your right to compensation.
Protect your right to fair compensation
You do not need visible wounds to have a valid experience worth taking seriously. In New Jersey, the law recognizes that harm extends beyond what the eye can see. Whether you are managing physical pain, emotional distress or unexpected medical expenses, your circumstances merit proper consideration. Taking the time to understand your legal rights is a practical first step, and exploring your options can prove meaningful to your path forward.