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Leyes sobre Mordeduras de Perro en Virginia: Responsabilidad y Derechos de las Víctimas

Por Equipo Editorial de Recording Law17 min de lectura
Leyes sobre Mordeduras de Perro en Virginia: Responsabilidad y Derechos de las Víctimas

Preguntas frecuentes

¿Virginia tiene una ley de responsabilidad objetiva por mordedura de perro?

No. Virginia no tiene un estatuto de responsabilidad objetiva por mordedura de perro. El estado sigue la regla de la primera mordida del derecho consuetudinario, que responsabiliza objetivamente a los dueños solo después de que sabían o deberían haber sabido que su perro tenía tendencias peligrosas. Las víctimas también pueden presentar demandas basadas en la negligencia del dueño.

¿Cuál es el plazo de prescripción para una demanda por mordedura de perro en Virginia?

Virginia le otorga 2 años a partir de la fecha de la mordida para presentar una demanda por lesiones personales según el Va. Code § 8.01-243. No cumplir con este plazo impide su reclamación de forma permanente. Los menores de edad pueden tener el plazo suspendido hasta que cumplan 18 años.

¿Puedo recibir una indemnización si tuve parte de la culpa de la mordedura de perro?

No. Virginia sigue la negligencia contributiva pura, lo que significa que si usted tuvo aunque sea el 1% de la culpa del incidente, no puede recibir ninguna indemnización en absoluto. Esto se aplica a situaciones como provocar al perro, ignorar letreros de advertencia o cometer allanamiento.

¿Qué le sucede a un perro que es declarado peligroso en Virginia?

El dueño debe esterilizar o castrar al perro, colocarle un microchip, obtener al menos $100,000 en seguro de responsabilidad civil, pagar una tarifa de registro de $150, colocar letreros de advertencia, y renovar el registro anualmente. No cumplir es un delito menor Clase 1. Si el perro es determinado como vicioso (mató o lesionó gravemente a una persona), debe ser sacrificado.

¿Se puede demandar a un arrendador por la mordedura del perro de un inquilino en Virginia?

Sí, pero solo en situaciones limitadas. El arrendador debe haber sabido que el perro era peligroso, haber tenido la capacidad de abordar la situación, y no haber actuado. La responsabilidad es más probable cuando la mordida ocurre en un área común que el arrendador controla, como un pasillo o patio compartido.

¿Lesionado en Virginia? Obtenga una revisión gratuita del caso con un abogado de lesiones personales

Si la negligencia de otra persona causó su lesión, podría tener derecho a compensación por gastos médicos, salarios perdidos y dolor y sufrimiento. Obtenga una revisión gratuita y sin compromiso de un abogado de lesiones personales en Virginia. La mayoría trabaja por honorarios contingentes, así que no hay costo inicial.

Actualizaciones

Corrected the dangerous-dog table: the January 31 deadline and fees under Va. Code Section 3.2-6542 are the county/city's annual remittance to the State Veterinarian ($90 new, $25 renewal), not an $85 owner-paid renewal fee under Section 3.2-6540.01, which has no such provision.

Ley aplicable revisada en busca de cambios recientes

La ley detrás de este artículo

Este artículo se apoya en 7 disposiciones legales conservadas en nuestro propio registro jurídico, cada una obtenida de la fuente oficial. Toque una sección para leer el texto vigente.

Code of Virginia, Title 3.2: Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food

§ 3.2-6540Dangerous dogs; investigation, summons, and hearingVigente
A. As used in this section, "dog" includes a hybrid canine as defined in § 3.2-6581. B. Any law-enforcement officer or animal control officer who (i) has reason to believe that an animal is a dangerous dog and (ii) is located in the jurisdiction where the animal resides or in the jurisdiction where the act was committed may apply to a magistrate for the issuance of a summons requiring the owner, if known, to appear before a general district court at a specified time. The summons shall advise the owner of the nature of the proceeding and the matters at issue. C. No law-enforcement officer or animal control officer shall apply for a summons pursuant to subsection B if, upon investigation, the officer finds (i) in the case of an injury to a companion animal that is a dog or cat, that no serious injury has occurred as a result of the attack or bite, that both animals are owned by the same person, or that the incident originated on the property of the attacking or biting dog's owner or (ii) in the case of an injury to a person, that the injury caused by the dog upon the person consists solely of a single nip or bite resulting only in a scratch, abrasion, or other minor injury.

Texto oficial (extracto) · al 2026-07-29 · Lea la sección completa en law.lis.virginia.gov

§ 3.2-6540.01Obligations of officer and owner following dangerous dog findingVigente
A. After an animal is found to be a dangerous dog pursuant to § 3.2-6540, the local animal control officer or treasurer shall provide the owner with a uniformly designed tag that identifies the animal as a dangerous dog. The owner shall affix the tag to the animal's collar and ensure that the animal wears the collar and tag at all times. B. Within 30 days of the finding that an animal is a dangerous dog pursuant to § 3.2-6540, the owner shall: 1. Provide documentation that the animal has been neutered or spayed; 2. Provide documentation that the animal has been implanted with electronic identification registered to the owner. The registration information shall be provided to the animal control officer; 3. Present satisfactory evidence to the animal control officer of liability insurance coverage, to the value of at least $100,000, that covers animal bites. The owner may obtain and maintain a bond in surety to the value of at least $100,000 in lieu of liability insurance; 4. Pay to the local governing body a fee of $150 and under the direction of the animal control officer complete a dangerous dog registration certificate issued by the Department pursuant to § 3.2-6542.

Texto oficial (extracto) · al 2026-07-29 · Lea la sección completa en law.lis.virginia.gov

§ 3.2-6540.03Violation of law by owner of dangerous dog; penaltyVigente
A. If an owner of an animal previously found to be a dangerous dog pursuant to § 3.2-6540 is charged with a violation of § 3.2-6540, 3.2-6540.01, 3.2-6540.02, or 3.2-6540.04, the animal control officer shall confine the dangerous dog until such time as evidence shall be heard and a verdict rendered pursuant to § 3.2-6540. Unless good cause is determined by the court, such evidentiary hearing shall be held within 30 days or as soon as practicable of the issuance of the summons. The court, through its contempt powers, may compel the owner of the animal to produce the animal. B. Upon conviction, the court may (i) order the dangerous dog to be disposed of by a local governing body pursuant to § 3.2-6562 or (ii) grant the owner up to 30 days to comply with the requirements of § 3.2-6540.01, during which time the dangerous dog shall remain in the custody of the animal control officer until compliance has been verified. If the owner fails to achieve compliance within the time specified by the court, the court shall order the dangerous dog to be disposed of by a local governing body pursuant to § 3.2-6562.

Texto oficial (extracto) · al 2026-07-29 · Lea la sección completa en law.lis.virginia.gov

§ 3.2-6540.04Subsequent attack or bite by dangerous dog; penaltyVigente
A. Any owner of an animal found to be a dangerous dog pursuant to § 3.2-6540, when such finding arose out of a separate and distinct incident, is guilty of a: 1. Class 2 misdemeanor if such dog attacks and injures or kills a cat or dog that is a companion animal belonging to another person; or 2. Class 1 misdemeanor if such dog bites a human being or attacks a human being causing bodily injury. B. The provisions of subsection A shall not apply to any animal that at the time of the act complained of was responding to pain or injury, was protecting itself, its kennel, its offspring, a person, or its owner's property, or was a police dog engaged in the performance of its duties at the time of the attack. C. The court may determine that a person convicted under this section shall be prohibited from owning, possessing, or residing on the same property with a dog. 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 464.

Texto oficial (extracto) · al 2026-07-29 · Lea la sección completa en law.lis.virginia.gov

§ 3.2-6540.1Vicious dogs; penaltiesVigente
A. As used in this section: "Serious injury" means an injury having a reasonable potential to cause death or any injury other than a sprain or strain, including serious disfigurement, serious impairment of health, or serious impairment of bodily function and requiring significant medical attention. "Vicious dog" means a canine or canine crossbreed that has (i) killed a person, (ii) inflicted serious injury to a person, or (iii) continued to exhibit the behavior that resulted in a previous finding by a court or, on or before July 1, 2006, by an animal control officer as authorized by ordinance that it is a dangerous dog, provided that its owner has been given notice of that finding. B. Any law-enforcement officer or animal control officer who (i) has reason to believe that a canine or canine crossbreed is a vicious dog and (ii) is located in the jurisdiction where the vicious dog resides or in the jurisdiction where a vicious dog committed an act set forth in the definition shall apply to a magistrate serving the jurisdiction for the issuance of a summons requiring the owner or custodian, if known, to appear before a general district court at a specified time.

Texto oficial (extracto) · al 2026-07-29 · Lea la sección completa en law.lis.virginia.gov

§ 3.2-6542Establishment of Dangerous Dog RegistryVigente
A. The Commissioner shall establish the Virginia Dangerous Dog Registry to be maintained by the Department. The State Veterinarian shall maintain information provided and posted by animal control officers or other such officials statewide on a website. All information collected for the Dangerous Dog Registry shall be available to animal control officers via the website. The website list shall be known as the Virginia Dangerous Dog Registry. B. Registration information shall include the name of the animal, a photograph, sex, age, weight, primary breed, secondary breed, color and markings, whether spayed or neutered, the acts that resulted in the dog being designated as dangerous and associated trial docket information, microchip or tattoo number, address where the animal is maintained, name of the owner, address of the owner, telephone numbers of the owner, and a statement that the owner has complied with the provisions of the dangerous dog order.

Texto oficial (extracto) · al 2026-07-29 · Lea la sección completa en law.lis.virginia.gov

Code of Virginia, Title 8.01: Civil Remedies and Procedure

§ 8.01-243Personal action for injury to person or property generally; extension in actions for malpractice against health care providerVigentecitada en 9 de nuestros artículos
A. Unless otherwise provided in this section or by other statute, every action for personal injuries, whatever the theory of recovery, and every action for damages resulting from fraud, shall be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues. B. Every action for injury to property, including actions by a parent or guardian of an infant against a tort-feasor for expenses of curing or attempting to cure such infant from the result of a personal injury or loss of services of such infant, shall be brought within five years after the cause of action accrues. An infant's claim for medical expenses pursuant to subsection B of § 8.01-36 accruing on or after July 1, 2013, shall be governed by the applicable statute of limitations that applies to the infant's cause of action. C. The two-year limitations period specified in subsection A shall be extended in actions for malpractice against a health care provider as follows: 1. In cases arising out of a foreign object having no therapeutic or diagnostic effect being left in a patient's body, for a period of one year from the date the object is discovered or reasonably should have been discovered; 2.

Texto oficial (extracto) · al 2026-07-29 · Lea la sección completa en law.lis.virginia.gov

Citada en 376 opiniones judiciales1970s: 11980s: 681990s: 902000s: 512010s: 582020s: 108Aplicada por un tribunal por última vez: 2026

Casos destacados: Herman v. McCarthy Enterprises, Inc. (Virginia Circuit Court 2002, 61 Va. Cir. 697) · Ansari v. Pahlavi (Virginia Circuit Court 1991, 23 Va. Cir. 402) · Dixon v. Messer (Virginia Circuit Court 2003, 61 Va. Cir. 527)

Identificado automáticamente a partir de las opiniones judiciales que citan esta sección; no es un ranking de qué caso prevalece.

Busque en nuestro registro completo de la ley de EE. UU.: 2.1 millones de secciones, todos los estados y la ley federal

Fuentes y referencias

  1. Va. Code § 3.2-6540 - Perros peligrosos; investigación, citación y audiencia(law.lis.virginia.gov).gov
  2. Va. Code § 3.2-6540.01 - Obligaciones del oficial y del dueño tras una determinación de perro peligroso(law.lis.virginia.gov).gov
  3. Va. Code § 3.2-6540.03 - Infracción de la ley por el dueño de un perro peligroso; sanción(law.lis.virginia.gov).gov
  4. Va. Code § 3.2-6540.04 - Ataque o mordida posterior de un perro peligroso; sanción(law.lis.virginia.gov).gov
  5. Va. Code § 3.2-6540.1 - Perros viciosos; sanciones(law.lis.virginia.gov).gov
  6. Va. Code § 8.01-243 - Acción personal por lesión a persona o propiedad en general(law.lis.virginia.gov).gov
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