It means you must collect and share basic contact and insurance details with everyone involved in the incident, not just one person. This includes drivers, vehicle owners, and any witnesses. You should get full names, phone numbers, addresses, driver’s license numbers, license plate numbers, and insurance policy details. This step is the foundational first action after ensuring everyone’s safety. It creates a clear record of who was involved and how to contact them and their insurers, which is required by law in most places after a collision.

This common defense is often irrelevant. Many states have “strict liability” laws where the owner is responsible for a bite even if the dog had no prior vicious history. In other states, you can still prove the owner was negligent—for example, by violating a leash law or failing to control their pet in a situation where any reasonable owner would have. The focus is on the owner’s duty of care at the time of the incident, not solely the dog’s past.

You must still show how the other party was wrong, but your own fault will be considered. Many jurisdictions use “comparative negligence” rules. This means your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found 20% responsible, your total damages award will be decreased by 20%. In some places, if you are more than 50% at fault, you may be barred from recovering anything.