Injured From a Dog Attack? | Call a Dog Bite Lawyer Today!
Dog Bite Attorney
Owning a dog can be a rewarding experience. Dogs are known to decrease stress levels, increase immunity, and provide a sense of emotional well-being, along with many more benefits.
The best thing a dog offers to a pet owner is unconditional love. For many dog owners, their dog is a loved member of the family.
But what happens when another person’s dog bites you, and you end up with serious injuries?
Dog bites are not uncommon. Over 4.7 million Americans are bitten every year, half of them being children between ages 5-9. About 20% of all dog bites need medical attention.
There are several dangerous dog breeds known for dog attacks. Breeds like Pit Bulls, German Shephards, and Wolf/Dog hybrids are well known for causing a lot of damage to humans.
But even a small dog can be a dangerous animal. Smaller breeds can cause serious physical injuries in a bite attack.
Anyone can be the victim of a dog bite, even if you are careful and non-confrontational.
If a dog bit you due to a negligent owner, you might not realize that you have the right to compensation for your injuries, medical costs, and damages. The Brown Firm has experienced attorneys in Georgia and South Carolina to help you with your dog bite lawsuit. Contact us for a free consultation so we can inform you of your rights after an injury.
I met with Harry Brown personally and he sat with me for 20 minutes at our initial consultation to explain everything. He even called after my surgery to see how I was doing. I met with him several more times after that and was kept informed about my case throughout. I highly recommend Harry Brown as an attorney.
How To Prevent a Dog Bite Injury
The first, and most obvious way, to prevent a dog bite is to stay off of private property where a dog is present. If you trespass on private property, the dog bite laws may not apply to you.
Here are a few ways to prevent a dog bite:
- Always ask for permission before petting an unknown dog.
- Don’t mess with a dog that is eating or caring for puppies.
- Don’t allow small children to play unsupervised with a dog.
- Avoid direct eye contact with a dog you don’t know.
- Never approach a dog displaying aggressive behavior.
- Many familiar actions like yawning, shaking, placing the tail between the legs, and licking lips are signs of stress.
- Do not run from dogs or past dogs, and do not yell or make loud noises near a dog. These are cues to attack.
- Do not bother a dog that is sleeping, eating, or playing with a toy. They may feel the instinct to protect themselves.
It’s important to prevent dog bites, but all it takes is one mistake to end up in the emergency room. You should know your rights and legal options as a dog bite victim under the law.
For example, some states do not have a statewide leash law, but pet owners can be held liable if they break the local ordinances meant to restrain vicious dogs and prevent animal bites.
Contact our dog attack attorneys if you’ve been attacked. You will work with an experienced lawyer to help get you the compensation you deserve while healing from your dog bite injury.
What To Do If a Dog Bit You
If a dog bites you or your child, the first thing you need to do is get to safety. Fortunately, bite fatalities are rare, but you can still be severely injured.
After that, there are essential steps you should take immediately to prevent infection. Infections are the number one concern with animal attack lacerations because dogs’ mouths and nails are filled with bacteria.
Here’s what to do immediately after a dog bite attack:
- Press the wound gently so it will bleed and release some bacteria.
- Thoroughly wash the wound.
- Slow the bleeding by applying pressure.
- Apply antibiotic cream and wrap the wound.
- Change your bandage several times a day.
- Watch for signs of infection and get medical treatment as soon as possible.
If you don’t own the dog, there are more thongs you should do after caring for the wound, including seeing if the dog has been vaccinated for rabies. Your health care professional will need to know this and may give you a rabies vaccine and a tetanus booster.
To help your dog bite claim, we suggest you try to gather the following contact information and other details from any witnesses and the dog’s owner:
- Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Home insurance coverage information if the bite happened on someone’s property.
- Photos of the area of attack
- Photos of the injury
After you’ve gathered this information after the bite incident, you need to contact a dog bite injury lawyer right away. Dog bite injury claims are complicated, and you will need someone on your side as you focus on recovering from your injury.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
The most dangerous aspect of a dog bite is the high risk of infection of the wounds. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 18% of dog bites become infected.
Dogs carry harmful bacteria in their mouths. If you’re bitten, bacteria can be pushed deep into the body, making it difficult to clean. An infection from a dog bite can severely alter your quality of life and cause severe mental anguish.
Common infections include:
- Rabies
- Tetanus
- Staph
- MRSA
- Pasteurella
Signs of infection include:
- Redness
- Pain
- Swelling
- Fever
- Warm skin around the bite area
Many dog bite victims develop long-term or even permanent damage after an attack, especially if the injuries aren’t treated promptly. Dog bites can cause long-term pain, nerve damage, and mobility issues. Permanent scarring and disfigurement requiring reconstructive surgery are frequent outcomes of many bites.
Emotional distress and a loss of enjoyment of life are also common and just as troublesome as the physical effects. Psychological injuries like anxiety and fear around dogs and even post-traumatic stress disorder develop after being attacked by a dog.
The most common and typical injuries seen by our dog bite injury lawyers are:
- Lacerations
- Puncture wounds
- Scratches
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement resulting from scars
- Infections
- Bone fractures
- Broken bones
- Rabies
- Nerve damage
- Death
How To Report a Dog Bite
Anyone bit by a dog may be able to file a personal injury claim against the animal’s owner. To successfully file a dog bite claim, there are a few things you will need to do.
First, you will need to call the police. When you do, the department will complete a bite report that they will forward to the appropriate parties.
From here, the dog will be examined, and an official investigation will begin. Now you can start a personal injury claim against the animal’s owner.
Your personal injury claim should be handled by an experienced dog bite attorney. Once your accident report has been filed, reach out to an experienced dog bite lawyer to discuss how to go about bringing a dog bite case. Working with a personal injury attorney is beneficial because an attorney will be familiar with the recovery process and know how to negotiate with insurance companies.
The party defending against your claim will typically be the insurance company that covers the animal owner’s homeowner’s insurance. The insurance company wants to settle your claim for as little as possible, but your attorney will advocate on your behalf to get you fair compensation.
If the animal’s owner did not have insurance, an attorney could help you negotiate your medical bills with the emergency room where you were treated and explore other compensation options.
Get a Free Consultation With a Dog Bite Lawyer
The dog bite attorneys at The Brown Firm are experienced with all types of personal injury lawsuits, including dog bite claims.
Our experienced personal injury lawyers will manage all legal case procedures, including:
- Filing a personal injury claim
- Sorting out insurance payments
- Calling animal control to report a possibly dangerous dog
- Appellate advocacy if a judgment is appealed
- Recovering deserved damages
- Handling all communications with insurance companies and medical providers
From the time a dog bite victim retains us, our attorneys work hard to get the compensation deserved for medical bills and the pain and suffering while healing after the dog attack.
You may also have medical expenses to prevent permanent scarring or disfigurement. Our law firm has a team of specialists and experts who are experienced in retrieving evidence from the scene.
We also secure witness statements to build a strong case to recover the highest settlement possible and a favorable outcome for our clients.
Contact our top dog bite injury attorneys today for a free case evaluation and get the compensation and justice you deserve.
If you or a loved one were injured and need help, our skilled personal injury lawyers will be at your side every step of the way.
Fill out our simple online contact form or give our office a call now at (800) 529-1441.
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