To very much the same level dog bites are a medical concern, they are also a legal concern. In the United States, dog bites are legally classified under one of two types of laws, strict liability or dangerous threat. Under strict liability laws, an owner of a dog is strictly liable for all harm their dog causes, regardless of negligence, fault, or any other such factors. If at any time the dog harms a person, the owner must, by law, accept liability as the dog's owner. The rationale behind strict liability is that dog bites pose such a significant threat that owners assume liability just by owning a dog. Quite opposite to strict liability, other states honor a policy of "dangerous threat." Under these laws, dogs are not automatically deemed dangerous; therefore owners are not automatically liable. If there is reason to believe the dog has dangerous propensities, however – such as if the dog is a violent breed or more importantly, has harmed before – then an owner becomes liable for any damages the dog causes.