Fighting Back Against Irresponsible Dog Owners
Nationwide, about 1,000 dog bite victims show up at hospital emergency rooms every day and over 750,000 need medical
treatment each year. Insurance companies pay out about $300 million per year to dog bite victims.
Children The Most Common Victims
Most of the victims are children, and most often, the dog concerned belongs to the child’s family,
or to a friend or neighbor. This makes it more emotionally distasteful to pursue legal redress. But it should still be done,
because dog attacks can create lifetime consequences for a child, in the form of scars, fear of dogs, fear of the outdoors, etc.
If your child has been bitten by a dog, you need to contact an experienced dog bite attorney to explore your options.
Some Breeds Are Most Often Responsible
All dog breeds can be safe around people if they’re raised and trained properly and treated well. But improper training or
inhumane treatment can cause most animals to behave dangerously or unpredictably.
Sometimes too, dog owners want their dog to be particularly protective of them, or intimidating to strangers, and so they
choose breeds who are known to be capable of that kind of behavior, and they encourage, even train the dog that way. And so those
breeds are most often the culprits in dog bite injuries.
Some of those breeds are.
- Pit bull terriers
- Rottweilers
- German shepherds
- Siberian huskies
- Alaskan malamutes
- Wolf hybrids
Who Is Responsible?
In California, dog bites are the responsibility of the dog owner, even for the first time occurrence.
As well, anybody might be liable who was negligent or had custody or control of the dog knowing that it was an animal that might bite.
In cities with a leash law, violation of that constitutes a form of negligence. However, there’s often no requirement to prove negligence.
In almost every dog bite case the dog owner’s homeowners insurance pays for the settlement.
Damages You Might Obtain
An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to help you figure out how to be compensated for the pain, suffering and injuries caused by the dog bite.
If you’ve suffered any of the following, you can usually be paid damages for it:
- Injury requiring treatment such as first aid, emergency room, hospital, or ambulance
- Future medical treatment for scar reduction
- Counseling for things such as:
- Emotional distress over the attack
- Fear of dogs
- Fear of being outdoors
- Dealing with disfigurement
- Loss of earnings from work time taken off
- Torn clothing and broken glasses
- Medications, such as pain medication and antibiotics
Sometimes you might also be entitled to punitive damages, if the dog owner behaved in a way that’s malicious, or somehow more than negligent.
Every Case Is Different
The dog bite laws can be obscure and difficult to navigate. Sometimes it’s not clear who a claim should be brought against.
At times there may be no valid case, and on the other hand, there have been cases where people were criminally convicted for owning
animals they knew were dangerous. In some instances, they’ve been found guilty of murder when their animal’s attack killed someone.
Sentences have ranged from severe fines to significant jail time.
An experienced dog bite attorney can assess the particular circumstances of your case and decide what sort of action will most likely redress your injury.
If you’ve been injured by a dog attack, lose no time in contacting an experienced dog bite lawyer,
so that you can have the best chance possible of obtaining compensation for your injuries.
IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAS BEEN INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT,
IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROTECT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS.
PLEASE CALL US TOLL- FREE AT 1-888-516-6262
OR CLICK HERE FOR A FREE CONFIDENTIAL CASE EVALUATION
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