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Looking For a Fresno Dog Bite Injury Lawyer ? |
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Dog Bite Injury Lawyer in your area.The service is free,
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that man’s best friend – the dog – bites more than 4.7 million people a year in the United States. Of those bitten each year, 800,000 seek medical attention for dog bites; half of these are children. Of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department and about a dozen die. The rate of dog bite-related injuries is highest for children ages 5 to 9 years, and the rate decreases as children age. Almost two thirds of injuries among children ages four years and younger are to the head or neck region. |
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| There were 2.7 million people injured in traffic accidents. On average, 7400 people are injured every day in traffic accidents or more than 300 people per hour. Car accidents can cause severe injuries to the body, such as spinal cord injuries, broken bones, head injuries, severe cuts and lacerations, knee injuries, and shock related injuries. |
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| Possible injuries from dog bites: |
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- Infection
- Tetanus
- Rabies
- Puncture wounds
- Nerve damage
- Bone damage
- Blood vessel damage
- Disfigurement
- Severed tissue
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| Depending on the severity of the dog bite, the injured person may require one or more surgeries, including skin and bone grafts. Scaring is likely and may be permanently disfigure the injured person. |
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While any dog can bite, the top biting breeds include: |
- Pit Bulls
- Rotweilers
- German Shepherds
- Huskies
- Doberman Pinschers
- Chow Chows
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| The Insurance Information Institute provides the following information about dog bites: |
- In 2005 dog bites cost insurers $317.2 million.
- The cost of the average dog bite claim was $21,200 in 2005.
- Dog bite claims accounted for about 15% of liability claims dollars paid under homeowners’ insurance policies.
- In one-third of states, owners are “strictly-liable” for their dogs’ behavior, while in the rest of the country they are liable only if they knew or should have known their dogs had a propensity to bite (known as the "one free bite" principle). Under strict liability dog-bite law an injured person only needs to show that the dog bit him or her, and the owner's knowledge is not an issue.
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| There are three kinds of law that impose liability on owners: |
- A dog-bite statute: where the dog owner is automatically liable for any injury or property damage the dog causes without provocation.
- The one-bite rule: where the dog owner is responsible for an injury caused by a dog if the owner knew the dog was likely to cause that type of injury – in this case, the victim must prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous.
- Negligence laws: where the dog owner is liable if the injury occurred because the dog owner was unreasonably careless (negligent) in controlling the dog.
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| In most states, dog owners aren't liable to trespassers who are injured by a dog. A dog owner who is legally responsible for an injury to a person or property may be responsible for reimbursing the injured person for medical bills, time off work, pain and suffering and property damage. |
| Depending on the seriousness of injuries resulting from an animal attack, you may be entitled to recover for: |
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage.
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In some instances, you may also be entitled to punitive damages, which are awarded to punish someone for his or her behavior. To justify an award of punitive damages, the wrongdoer's conduct usually must be more than negligent, such as reckless or intentional conduct. For example, if a dog owner knew his dog was very dangerous, yet repeatedly allowed the dog to run free near a school, and the dog eventually attacked a child, a jury could conclude that punitive damages were appropriate. |
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