The United States Postal Service is expressing concern for the safety of their staff after statistics revealed nearly 6,000 incidents of dogs attacking their postal carriers in 2020.
One carrier recalled his account of a dog attack at work saying, “I knocked on a customer’s door to pick up a package and as a young child answered, a dog came bursting out of the door and bit my forearm, knocking me to the ground. I was in shock and struggling with the dog, when he lunged and bit me again on my face, under my ear.” (foxbusiness.com)
The Postal Service has encouraged all dog owners to responsibly restrain their dogs when carriers are expected to be visiting their property, but unfortunately these incidents will likely still occur. When you’re on the job, whether working for the United States Postal Service or some other package delivery service like AMazon, UPS, or FedEx, you cannot be responsible for the behavior of someone else’s dog while upon their property. Owner’s must be responsible for their pets’ behavior when they have any visitors over, especially those they are being serviced by.
Have a Plan to Prevent A Dog Attack At Work
Understand your claim is secondary to your health. Always have a plan for the unexpected dog attack at work if you frequently have to visit the property of customers:
- Ask that customer’s notify you of any pets on the property if possible.
- Politely ask that they be restrained away from the areas that you occupy while on the property.
- If a dog is seen unrestrained on the property, do not approach it without the owner’s supervision.
- Calmly leave the area of the unrestrained dog and contact the owner if they are not present.
- Report to the owner and your employer if a dog ever presents aggressive behavior such as growling, snapping, or nipping.
- Immediately seek medical attention if a dog ever attacks, and then file a report with the local authorities and your employer.
Experiencing a dog attack at work could allow your claim to proceed against workers’ compensation insurance; however, you would likely also be able to pursue a claim directly against the owner of the animal. Either way, you are entitled to compensation for your medical bills, time off work, scarring, disfigurement, pain and suffering, and any other losses related to the attack. An expert Georgia dog bite lawyer at Southside Injury Attorneys can help you best determine your options and handle your claim while you focus on recovering.
Call or contact the law office of Southside Injury Attorneys for experienced attorneys that can serve your personal injury needs. We have six convenient locations in McDonough, Stockbridge, Peachtree City, Jackson, Barnesville, and Griffin. We handle all personal injury matters and serve clients all over the state as one of Georgia’s most respected law firms.
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