Dog Bite Claims
DOG BITE CLAIMS – PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS:
WHAT IS A DOG BITE PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM? A dog bite claim is a type of personal injury claim. These claims hold a dog owner responsible for the damages caused by their dog’s attack. In Georgia, there are many laws which require dog owners to keep their dogs on leashes or properly contained in fenced areas. If the dog owner fails to take adequate precautions to protect others from being attacked by their dogs, then they can be held liable for the medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, or even wrongful death that results.
WHAT KIND OF INJURIES ARE OFTEN INVOLVED IN DOG BITE CASES? Dog bite cases can involve very serious injuries and even death. Dog attacks can result in damage to skin and muscle which can result in permanent injuries and scarring. Often plastic surgery is required to minimize the scarring and disfigurement that can result from dog bites especially to the face.
WHY DO I NEED AN ATTORNEY IF I HAVE BEEN INJURED BY A DOG BITE? Dog bite cases require significant investigation into the facts of the attack. It is also important to find out if there have been any previous attacks by that same dog. Unrepresented victims of dog bites often have a difficult time identifying the dog owner’s homeowner’s policy. Further, dog bite victims who are not represented often are told by the adjusters that they will not pay for the dog bite personal injury claim. Adjusters and their defense attorneys often raise the “one free bite” defense which holds that the dog owner is not responsible for the first time their dog bites. This is based on the position that once the dog has bitten once then the dog owner is on notice that their dog can be dangerous. However, the dog bite personal injury lawyers at The Griffin Law Firm, P.C. have been able to overcome this defense by showing other bites have occurred or by showing that the dog owner had violated leash or fencing laws or ordinances. It is clear that if a victim of a dog attack “goes it alone” and does not hire an experienced dog bite attorney, then they will usually not be compensated for their losses. This is based in part due to the fact that without an attorney injured victims usually do not know the value of their case. Unrepresented dog bite victims are also at a disadvantage because they normally do not know how to litigate their personal injury claim if needed.
DOG BITE OR DOG ATTACK STATISTICS: Unfortunately, people are seriously injured due to dog bites or dog attacks on a daily basis throughout the U.S. Below are some surprising facts about dog bite cases:
There are approximately 4.7 million dog bites in the U.S every year. (Sacks JJ, Kresnow M, Houston B. Dog bites: how big a problem? Injury Prev 1996;2:52-4.)
Approximately 1,000 people are treated in U.S. emergency rooms every single day. [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nonfatal Dog Bite–Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments — United States, 2001, MMWR 2003;52:605-610. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is published by the CDC.]
Approximately 368,000 victims are treated in the emergency rooms every year.[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nonfatal Dog Bite–Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments — United States, 2001, MMWR 2003;52:605-610. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is published by the CDC.]
About 800,000 bites each year require medical attention.[(Weiss HB, Friedman D, Coben JH. Incidence of dog bite injuries treated in emergency departments. JAMA 1998;279:51-53.)]
In 2010 there were thirty-four dog attacks that resulted in fatalities just in the U.S.
The average treatment cost for dog attack victims is $18,200.[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nonfatal Dog Bite–Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments — United States, 2001, MMWR 2003;52:605-610. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is published by the CDC.]
Most dog attack victims are children.
50% of the attacked children are bitten in the face.
Dog bite damages exceed one billion dollars every year.[("Take the bite out of man's best friend." State Farm Times, 1998;3(5):2.)]
Homeowner’s insurance policies pay out over $300 million dollars every year.
There are 74.8 million dogs in the United States. [ (American Pet Manufacturers Assocation (APPMA) 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey)]
DOG BITE WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIMS: There are 34 deaths from dog attacks every year in the U.S. If the dog owners are liable for the attack, then this creates a wrongful death claim. Wrongful death claims allow the families of the victim to recover for the medical expenses, pain and suffering, burial expenses, and for the value of the lost life.
FREE CONSULTATION OR SETTLEMENT EVALUATION: Our dog bite attorneys have experienced great success handling premise liability claims for our clients over the years. If you have been injured in a dog attack, then we encourage you to contact us for a free legal consultation or a free settlement evaluation. The advice is free, but the information you receive could be priceless.
FREE CONSULTATION: Please call our intake department at 1-866-847-6545 to have your legal questions answered.
CLIENT INFORMATION FORM: Please click this link to submit your legal question to our personal injury and wrongful death attorneys. We respond to your email at no cost to you.
SETTLEMENT EVALUATION FORM: Please click this link to submit your case to us for a free settlement evaluation. We will let you know what we think you case may be worth and why.
