Dog Bite Attorneys – Dog Bite Lawyers

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Dog Bite Attorneys

Dog bite attorneys are ready and available to assist you with your personal injury claim for your dog bite injury.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, nearly 2% of the U.S. population is bitten by a dog each year. This translates to nearly 5 million dog bite victims per year, most of whom are children. In a 10-year period, the number of dogs rose by 2%, while the number of bites increased by 33%. About 1,000 dog bite victims arrive in hospital emergency rooms per day for treatment. Dog bite losses exceed $1 billion per year, with $345 million paid by homeowner insurance policies.

Dogs bite: Why does this happen?

There are many reasons why a dog bites. Dogs bite out of fear or to protect their territory or to establish their dominance over the person bitten. Some owners mistakenly teach their dogs that biting is an acceptable form of play behavior, and every year a number of newborn infants die when they are bitten by dogs that see them as "prey." There are several common sense methods of preventing dog bites, but sometimes there is no way to avoid an attack. If you are attacked, first try to block the attack with an object like a jacket or backpack. If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball, protect your face by covering your head and neck, and cover your ears, as well.

What should I do if I am bitten by a dog?

Try to identify the dog that bit you and see if you can get the address to the house at which the dog bite occurred. If it's a stray, you could end up having to get rabies treatments, which is very painful. However, if the dog belongs to someone you may not have to get rabies treatment and you also may be eligible for a personal injury lawsuit claim against the owner. Contact a dog bite lawyer for more information.

Get medical attention as soon as possible after being bitten and follow all physician instructions relating to your care. Get medical attention quickly because any delay in getting medical attention could affect your eligibility for a claim.

As soon as possible after you've received medical attention, focus on finding out as much as you can about the dog and the owner, including whether or not the owner has insurance. Types of insurance policies that typically cover dog bites include:

Homeowner's insurance;
Renter's insurance;
Landlord's insurance (covering the owner, occupier and/or manager of property);
Commercial general liability insurance (covering stores and other businesses);
Insurance covering employers (protecting employees only); and
Motor vehicle insurance.

If the owner does have insurance, be sure to find out:

The name of insurance company;
The address of the office;
Telephone number; and
The policy owner's name.

Once you've contacted the insurance company, be sure to get a claim number.

Have good pictures taken of your injuries on the date of the attack and at reasonable intervals afterwards. This is especially important to document the appearance of infections, bite wounds and marks on the face if you were bitten on the face, and other important visual images of the effect of the attack.

Interview witnesses (if there were any) at the location of the attack or as soon as possible after the attack. The sooner you interview witnesses the better because memories fade in time and you need the facts as fresh as possible. Be sure to take down names, addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses to the attack.

Get a LawInfo Lead Counsel qualified dog bite attorney to represent you and help you with your insurance claim if the dog owner has insurance. Remember, insurance companies are not sympathetic to your injuries. Their job is to pay as little as possible on your claim, which usually will only cover minimal medical care and not come anywhere near what you actually deserve, so it is important that you retain a lawyer to enforce your legal rights as an injured person.

If the dog owner does not have insurance or the insurance policy limits are inadequate to cover your claim, the dog owner may be personally liable for your damages. The dog owner may also be personally liable if he or she acted with actual malice and intentionally caused the injury. If the dog owner is uninsured, underinsured or acted with malice, you definitely need a dog bite attorney to help you assert your legal rights.

As a dog bite victim, you may be entitled to damages and losses, ranging from medical bills and emotional damage, to loss of the opportunity to earn income in the future because of disfigurement. Only an experienced dog bite lawyer will be able to determine if you are eligible for a lawsuit claim. State statutes of limitations do apply, and you may have little as 60 days to start your claim. Contact a LawInfo Lead Counsel qualified dog bite lawyer today. Any delay could adversely affect your eligibility to collect monetary damages.

What is a "dangerous dog" from a legal standpoint?

It depends on where you live. Some cities and states consider particular breeds like pit bulls and rottweilers dangerous, while others only consider a dog dangerous only after it behaves in a manner that is regarded, in that particular city or county, as posing unacceptable risks. Contact a dog bite attorney to find out what your city, county and/or state considers a dangerous dog.

Can a landlord be held liable for a dog bite

that occurs on his or her property?

Landlord liability law differs from state to state. Some do not ever impose liability on the landlord. However, a landlord may be liable for injuries and bites inflicted by dogs belonging to tenants and possibly other people who bring dogs onto the landlord's property. It all depends on your state's laws. Contact a dog bite lawyer to find out the landlord liability laws in your state.

Do you suffer from a dog bite injury? Contact a personal injury lawyer now. Statutes of limitations do apply, and any delay could adversely affect your lawsuit claim.