ORIGINAL: coolbrze0
ORIGINAL: Bigg~BirddVA
Something I've always wondered what if a guy is on your land, with the states approval of course, and has an accident? With todays lawsuit happy society he could fall or get hurt and you're responsible. But with the dog laws you can't protect yourself from that. So is the state paying the bill or exempting you?
I'm sure they COULD sue, but I would also think that it would get thrown out. Especially if your property was posted.
That's debatable. Regardless by the time you got finished in court it would still cost a pretty penny - assuming you won. People sue the railroads and win and they have no tresspassing signs in place. You can lose if the injuried party can prove a dangerous condition existed on your lands. It probably could be proven that you should have known others would be entering your land (to get their dogs) and you didn't take approiate action to protect them, etc., etc. We've all read of silly suits being won. Being right and winning in court don't go together.
Here you go.............. from one of those personal injury lawyers.
Trespasser: A trespasser goes on the premises in question without permission of the defendant, not while performing any duty in relation to the premises owner. Defendants typically have no duty or limited duties to warn a trespasser of conditions or dangers that exist on the premises in question. However, a defendant premises owner may be obligated to exercise reasonable or ordinary care in warning a trespasser if he or she is aware that the trespasser is present on the property in question.