Signs Are Not As Helpful As They Seem
A Beware of Dog sign may or may not count as protection against lawsuits. In Alabama, the court is likely to consider that if you need a sign telling people to beware of your dog, then you already know that the animal is dangerous. This can still apply even if your dog has a lack of violent history.
Additionally, if your dog has bitten someone before or if other people have complained about the dog, the court will likely interpret this as awareness of your dog’s violent inclinations.
A “Beware of Dog” Sign Doesn’t Prevent Someone from Filing a Lawsuit against You
Placing a “Beware of Dog” sign does not make you immune to lawsuits. In fact, not only will it not protect you, but it can be very helpful to the plaintiff‘s lawyer. The courts may agree that placing the sign means you knew there was a safety risk because of your animal, which means you were letting the public know about that risk. If someone is injured despite that, and you did nothing else to prevent the injuries, you could still be liable for all of the costs associated with the attack.
Also, if your dog has complaints against them or they have bitten before, that sign is just admitting that you know your pet is a risk to public safety. Therefore, the court may assume that you knew your dog was a risk and did nothing to protect the public from it.
Alaska offers no protection with signage. In fact, any dog considered vicious can be lawfully killed if it is running at large.
But your dogs can also be a huge liability. If your dog ends up biting another animal or a human, you could be sued for any damages and oftentimes more. Sometimes his desire to protect you can even cost your dog his life.
If you have clear warning signs of a dog adequately posted on your property, then a person who is not licensed or privileged to enter or remain on your property is liable for any damage from the animal. Posting a “no trespassing” sign may to mitigate any potential liability as well.
In Vermont, the victim of an injury provoked by a dog must prove negligence by the dog’s owner. As the owner, having signs warning people of the risk of entering your property could help to lessen any negligence claims.
There is no written protection of your dog through signage. However, you may be able to lessen the plaintiff’s case of negligence if you had clearly visible “beware of dog” and “no trespassing” signs up.