When Life Gives You Lemons — Call an Attorney

There are restrictions placed on the ownership of exotic animals because they can be very dangerous. Exotic animals can cause serious injuries and some are also poisonous. They can be unpredictable and difficult to control. Some exotic pet owners manage to obtain the proper permit and others choose to keep their pets illegally. If you are injured by an exotic animal owned by someone else, you may be entitled to compensation regardless of whether the pet is owned legally or not. 

The Ownership of Exotic Pets

While owning an exotic pet might seem like an unusual practice, it's more common than you might think. For example, there are more tigers owned as pets than there are in the wild. With all pets, the owner might be held liable for injuries caused by the pet.

However, for certain types of pets such as dogs, the owner is only held liable if they were negligent. Depending on the state where the dog owner resides, some owners are only liable if they know that their dogs are dangerous.

Owners of exotic animals are more strictly liable for injuries because exotic animals cannot be tamed. If you are injured, you will simply have to demonstrate that the animal was under the control of the owner or that the animal was introduced to the area by the defendant. Also, the courts will take into consideration whether the animal is normally considered to be dangerous and whether the animal has a history of previous attacks like this.

The Penalties for Causing an Injury with a Dangerous Animal

When you are injured, you will be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, future medical expenses, lost wages, and future lost wages. You may also be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering. The owner of the animal may also face fines and criminal prosecution. Therefore, seeking compensation is necessary if you wish to take the steps necessary to prevent these types of accidents from happening again.

However, to make sure that you are adequately compensated, you will need help from a personal injury attorney. They will be able to help you calculate the damages you have suffered so you can then seek a settlement with the party responsible for your injuries. If your case must go to court, a personal injury attorney will represent you in court. You may even be entitled to punitive damages if the courts wish to punish the defendant further.