If you are bitten by a dog and sustain any injuries, even if they are minor, you should first seek thorough medical treatment. As dogs are known to carry diseases, which can be transferred to humans through bites, the recovery process can be complicated even for a seemingly minor injury. As many people are caught off guard and left wondering what to do after being bitten by a dog, they may not stop to think about the aftermath, which can include extensive medical bills. In these cases, many victims will turn to personal injury lawyers to help them recoup any losses.
Unfortunately, many people are faced with a similar problem every day in America. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, it was estimated that over 14,000 people were subjected to hospital stays after serious dog bite injuries in 2016 alone. Further, every day around 1,000 US citizens are treated in emergency rooms for serious injuries sustained from dog bites. Even if you are not sure what exactly caused the dog bite to occur, speaking to a legal professional will give you insight into your legal options moving forward.
- Holding the Owner Liable After Being Bitten by Their Dog
- Possible Compensation Available for Dog Bite Injuries
- Call the Office of a Dog Bite Lawyer Serving the Greater New York Area Today
Holding the Owner Liable After Being Bitten by Their Dog
In many cases, assuming that the dog can be proven to have an owner, that owner will be held liable for your pain and suffering after a dog bite. As most dog breeds are genetically wild at heart, there must be measures taken to protect the general public from them, even if the dog has no history of acting aggressively. While proving negligence may be challenging in some cases, there is no excuse for failing to take the reasonable steps that would have prevented an animal attacking a human.
Acts of negligence surrounding dog bite attacks can include:
- Allowing a dog to escape its enclosure
- Failing to keep the dog on a leash, allowing the leash to be too long, or otherwise letting the dog get too close to a potential victim
- Bringing the dog to a public place where it will have an opportunity to bite people
- Allowing visitors into their home where they can be bitten by the dog without taking appropriate precautions, such as caging, chaining or barricading the dog
- Knowing that the dog is dangerous and still allowing it to pose a threat to the public
- Other specific acts or failures to act that are specific to the circumstances of the dog attack you experienced
The liable party in a dog bite case may not necessarily have to knowingly realize that the dog is dangerous to be held liable for their actions. In some cases, the legal concept of premises liability applies to dog bite cases, as the owner of the property did not do enough to give their visitors a reasonable expectation of safety. This liability concept will include households, but it will also include any piece of property, from government buildings to playgrounds to parking lots and more. Negligent security forces may also be held accountable if they do not perform their duties.
Even if the statute of limitations for dog bites is up to three years, you should not delay reporting the incident and filing your claim. A Long Island dog bite attorney at our firm can help you understand your legal options and file the necessary paperwork for you to seek the compensation you deserve. If your child suffered dog bites injuries and the liable party tries to deny your claim, delay it, or downright blame the child, our attorneys will help. In many cases, negligence, premises liability, attractive nuisance, and other law theories and doctrines come into play. Instead of dealing with technicalities and schemes, you should take time to heal, be there for the one injured, and trust your lawyers to fight for your rights and rightful recovery.
For a free legal consultation, call 516-932-0400
Possible Compensation Available for Dog Bite Injuries
Victims of dog bite cases can be eligible for physical, financial, and emotional damages for their pain and suffering. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost of a dog bite injury was $44,760 in 2019. This amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars in homeowner’s insurance claims being paid out each year after victims file claims.
Call the Office of a Dog Bite Lawyer Serving the Greater New York Area Today
If you are wondering what to do if a dog bites you, our attorneys would be proud to help you by working to provide the most effective legal representation possible for your legal case. It would be our privilege to help you understand your options moving forward. After retaining our services, we will not only keep you updated on your case, we will actively fight to identify liable parties to be held accountable for your pain and suffering and that prosecute a claim against those parties. Throughout the legal process, we will actively communicate with all parties for you and gather evidence to not only attempt to prove negligence, but to fight to protect your right to compensation for all your hardships. This includes determining a value for your case and making our goal, whether by settlement or by presenting your case to a judge and jury, to win every dollar that you deserve. Our attorneys work with clients in a variety of languages and, depending upon the unique circumstances of your case, we will call upon expert witnesses to testify in your case, including medical experts, vocational rehabilitation specialists, life care planners, economists, and more. We will also meet with clients on Long Island and throughout the New York metropolitan area.
To learn more about the dog bite lawyers at Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., contact one of our team members today for your free consultation at (516) 932-0400. The sooner you call, the sooner we can get started on your case.
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