While visiting your neighbor, they might show off their exotic pet to you: a snake. Suddenly, the snake bites you, and your neighbor informs you that the snake is venomous. Not only that, but the snake is an exotic pet and is fully illegal. After the incident, you might be entitled to compensation for the bite.
What is an Exotic Pet?
Some pets not commonly kept as a pet in the United States, such as wild reptiles. Some animals are illegal to own in some states or require special permits or licenses. Unfortunately, some individuals ignore the law and keep dangerous and illegal snakes.
Exotic pets are a risk to public health and safety, as well as to animal welfare and conservation. They can also cause injuries or deaths by biting and poisoning their owners or other people. Moreover, they can suffer from stress, neglect, abuse, or improper care in captivity, and they can threaten the survival of local wild populations by escaping or being released.
What Happens After a Snake Bite Injury?
You have several options if you are injured by someone else's exotic pet that they own illegally. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may be able to file a claim against the owner of the pet, the seller of the pet, the landlord of the property where the pet was kept, or the local authorities who failed to enforce the laws regarding exotic pets.
How Would the Owner Be Considered Negligent?
The most common way to seek compensation is to sue the pet owner for negligence. For example, if a neighbor's illegal cobra bit you, you could sue the neighbor for negligence and claim compensation for your expenses.
How Can a Plaintiff Seek Compensation?
To receive compensation, you should first seek medical attention, which is necessary for your health and safety, so you can have medical records to prove that a poisonous snake bit you.
When Should a Personal Injury Attorney Be Involved?
After seeking medical attention, you should contact a personal injury attorney. They will explain your legal options and help you start your personal injury case on the right foot. For example, they will locate and interview witnesses who may have known about the illegally owned snake. You might also want to contact the authorities so they can launch a criminal investigation.
Once you have proven that you have suffered damages from the illegally owned snake, you may be able to settle with the help of your personal injury attorney. If not, you also have the option to file a lawsuit so you can seek full compensation for your injuries and hold the snake owner accountable.
Reach out to a local personal injury lawyer to learn more.
Share3 July 2023
People with an eye for property can make a great deal of money buying a house, fixing it up and then selling it for a profit. However, there are many legal issues involved in this kind of pursuit. I am an attorney with experience in real estate, and I have helped many clients learn the legal details involved in flipping property. This blog will help you understand what you need to know when you are buying and selling a home as well as information about paying taxes on money made and property owned. Flipping houses can be a very profitable activity as long as you know how to do it legally.
