If acat had a seizure while I was grooming it and it passed away, am I financially obligated to pay for the cat?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If acat had a seizure while I was grooming it and it passed away, am I financially obligated to pay for the cat?
I have been communicating with this gentleman by letter only since the accident. I have everything that was said on paper. He went from wanting free grooming and promoting my business on his website. He is a professional dog breeder apparently. We declined finding ironic that he wanted me to groom his dogs when he was accusing me of killing his cat. I am unsure of what to do. I don’t feel I owe him any money. I let my business insurance lapse due to financial constraints. He is asking for the price of a new cat plus spaying, declawing front and rear.
Asked on January 13, 2012 under Business Law, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Legally, you are only liable if the cat had the seizure and passed away due to something you did--e.g. you used some product on it which caused the seizure; somehow shook it or held it in a such a way as to trigger a seizure (assuming that is possible); etc. If you did not cause the seizure, you would not be legally liable, though it is sometimes worthwhile to pay, even when not liable, to avoid bad publicity, loss of a business relationship, etc.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.