Have you recently been bitten by a dog? Dog bites are very dangerous because they can lead to serious injuries. In addition, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, over 4.5 million individuals are attacked by dogs each year in the United States.
We sympathize with you during this difficult time if your injuries have forced you to miss workdays. Additionally, the accident may also bring emotional and financial consequences that could be extremely challenging to deal with on your own. However, you are entitled to receive monetary compensation for your physical, emotional, and financial damages.
Nevertheless, you must know that pursuing your award on your own can be significantly difficult. In this situation, the pet owners must be held responsible for the accident. In that regard though, insurance companies will often approach personal injury accident victims with unfair amounts of monetary settlements.
For all the reasons we have listed, and the ones to come, you will require the services of a dog bite lawyer. Keep reading our article so that you can learn the advantages of hiring one of these legal professionals.
What Are Some The Most Common Dog Bite Injuries?
- Lacerations: These are deep cuts or tears in the skin. Lacerations can be very dangerous because they can affect a victim’s muscles, bones, nerves, and blood vessels.
Since lacerations are deep injuries and could produce excessive bleeding, dog bite victims may often require stitches.
- Infections: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, infections occur in about 10 to 15 percent of dog bites.
Infections from dog bites are produced by bacteria. Bacteria can be found in the animal’s teeth, tongue, and saliva. Common signs of an infection are known to be redness, pain, pus, and swelling in the affected area.
- Rabies: Rabies is a viral disease that can cause inflammation of the brain in humans. According to the World Health Organization, dogs are the main source of rabies deaths in people and contribute up to 99 percent of all transmissions to humans.
What Are The Dog Bite Laws in The United States?
- One-Bite Rule: This mandate states that dog owners will be held liable for the victims’ injuries if they knew beforehand about their pets aggressive behavior. The injured individual must also prove that the dog owner possessed this knowledge.
This law is known as the “one-bite rule” because it generally means that a dog is allowed one free bite before the owner would face legal trouble.
- Strict Liability Rule: Unlike the one-bite rule, this mandate declares that dog owners will be held responsible for the victims’ injuries even if they did not know about their pets’ negative behavior.
In other words, dog owners will be held culpable even if they tried to prevent the accident. However, it’s very important to know, dog owners will not be liable if the bite victim was provoking the animal beforehand or trespassing into private property.
- Statute of Limitations: This mandate sets the maximum amount of time that all personal injury accident victims have to file their injury claims.
The filing deadline may vary from state to state. For instance in our nation personal injury accident victims have four years to file their lawsuits.
What Are The Benefits of Hiring a Dog Bite Injury Attorney?
- A dog bite law firm will offer you a free consultation. During these sessions, you can ask them any questions that you may have regarding your claim. The point of view of a dog attack lawyer will help you determine the best way to attain your monetary compensation.
- Lawyers for dog bites have worked on dozens of cases similar to yours. For this reason, they possess the needed experience in helping bite victims obtain their awards.
- As we mentioned before, insurance companies may intend to lure you into accepting an unfair settlement. Rest assured that the best dog bite lawyer will negotiate with these firms in order to make sure that you are compensated correctly.
- Filing a dog bite lawsuit is very time-consuming. However, your dog injury lawyer can file these documents for you while you simply focus on getting better.
- Since dog bite laws may vary from state to state, you must make sure that your claim complies with all of your state’s mandates. That is why a dog bite attorney can help you file your claim correctly.
- Your dog attack injury attorney can help you contact the best specialized medical personnel who will treat all of your injuries.
- Lawyers specializing in dog bites will be able to prove fault because they can gather the necessary evidence for your claim.
Call a Dog Bite Attorney Right Now!
Now that you have learned the reasons why you need to hire a dog bite lawyer, we hope that you will not hesitate in calling one right away. Please remember that your rights come first and that your compensation awaits. Pick up the phone and call a legal expert right now!
