In North Carolina, animals are considered as property. Therefore they don’t have personal injury claims the way people do. We know pets are considered part of the family, but no animals have a claim for pain and suffering. However, you may have a claim for injuries to your animal, whether you are injured in the same incident or not. You can recover the following types of compensation for injuries to your animals:
● Veterinary bills;
● Lost income for caring for your animal/ taking them for treatment;
● Fair market value if the animal is killed and you replace it;
● Lost profits if the animal was livestock or used for breeding;
Each case is different, and can be tricky to manage, especially if you were also hurt or if other property damage happened (such as a car wreck) because the amount of funds may be limited based on the amount of available insurance. Generally the same statutes of limitations apply to claims for damage to animals that apply to other property damage issues. The lawyers of the Miller Law Group have handled insurance claims and personal injury cases for more than 50 years combined. Contact us today for a free evaluation to determine if your pet, service animal, or livestock was injured or killed by someone else’s negligence or by another animal.