Maryland Senate Approves Compromise Bill on Liability for Dog Bites

The Maryland Senate has approved a compromise bill on liability for dog bites.

The House has already passed the bill, so it will go to the governor’s office for a signature.

The bill 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 designating pit bulls as “inherently dangerous.”

The House and Senate reached a general agreement a month ago, but both chambers had to approve the same specific bill to make it law.

Maryland Sen. Delores G. Kelley, D-Baltimore County, was alone in voting against the bill Wednesday. She said she was bitten by a dog as a child and thinks the bill puts a burden on victims.

Related Articles:

• Maryland Lawmakers Seek Compromise on Dog Bite Legislation
• On a Leash: Dog Bite Insurance Claim Trends
• Neither Rain Nor Sleet But Dog Bites: Post Office Workers’ Injury Claims

Topics Politics