Articles — liability

Kentucky's New Dog-Bite Law: What Landlords Need to Know

Posted by Stephen Marshall on

Kentucky's New Dog-Bite Law: What Landlords Need to Know

In my very first post on this site, found here, I wrote about Kentucky’s then-current law on liability for landlords for dog-bites on their rental property. The law at that time centered around a 2012 case, Benningfield v. Zinsmeister, in which the Kentucky Supreme Court interpreted the state’s dog-bite statutes in such a way as to hold landlords liable for injuries caused by certain dogs on their rental property if the dog causes damage on the property or within immediate physical reach of the property. I’m glad to finally get to provide an update on that law: it’s changed. Landlords are...

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Dog-Bite Liability Update: New Legislation Pending

Posted by Stephen Marshall on

In my very first post on this site, found here, I wrote about the 2012 case of Benningfield v. Zinsmeister in which the Kentucky Supreme Court interpreted the state’s dog-bite statutes in such a way as to hold landlords liable for injuries caused by dogs that they permit to be cared for or housed on their property if the dog causes damage on the property or within immediate physical reach of the property. The relevant liability statute, found here, holds owners liable for injuries and damages caused by their dog, and the Court interpreted the definition of “owner” to include...

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Understanding Kentucky's Dog-Bite Law (June 2012-June 2017)

Posted by Stephen Marshall on

Understanding Kentucky's Dog-Bite Law (June 2012-June 2017)

LANDLORDS ARE NOW LIABLE FOR FIDO AND CUJO There’s an old saying that the world consists of two kinds of people: those who love dogs and those who don’t. This creates a bit of a conundrum for landlords: do I open my property to dogs and other pets and risk additional damage to my property, or do I create a no-pet policy and risk losing a significant portion of the potential resident pool? Since 2012, there’s been a new factor to consider in your decision-making: increased landlord liability for injuries from dog bites. Until mid-2012, landlords didn’t have to worry...

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