Dog Bite Injury Lawyer

For centuries, dogs have been considered man’s best friend. Sometimes, though, the relationship between humans and dogs becomes skewed. When a dog attacks, it can cause severe physical and psychological damage. If you or a loved one were attacked by a dog, contact a dog bite injury lawyer from Malloy Law Offices, LLC as soon as possible to determine whether the owner is at fault, and what damages can be recovered for your injury.

Why You Need a Dog Bite Injury Attorney After a Vicious Dog Attack

After serious injuries have been inflicted by a dog, whether wandering freely in a neighborhood, or within the home of another party or other location, your initial concern is to get medical care and treatment. However, the legal issues surrounding compensation for damage should be initiated as early as possible after the incident.

A dog owner is responsible for the actions of the pet. In many cases, an insurance claim will be filed against a person’s homeowners insurance policy. If a vicious dog, such as a watchdog, breaks free from a yard and attacks innocent people, a legal claim can be filed against the owner, even if it was an error. When the dog bite occurs within the home, the same holds true. Even the friendliest family pet can suddenly turn vicious under certain conditions. The bottom line is that you need a personal injury lawyer to manage all the details of your case correctly and to negotiate the terms of a settlement – or take the case to civil court if this will best serve your interests or the interests of an injured child.

Not all dog bite injury attorneys are gifted trial lawyers. Taking a case to civil court for resolution requires a different skillset than negotiating the terms of a settlement. At the Malloy Law Offices, LLC, we take on cases of serious injury, and develop each of our cases as if it will proceed to trial. We are skilled negotiators, and relentless in seeking justice and full compensation for the people we represent. We feel that those who have been injured by a vicious dog have the right to claim what they deserve. We are devoted to pursuing the maximum possible compensation.

What to Do in Case of a Dog Bite

One might be walking down the street or playing with a dog when an attack unexpectedly occurs. You should take the necessary precautions to avoid infection. We will provide you with a guide on what to do if you are attacked by a dog:

1. Seek Medical Attention: Depending on the severity of the injuries, it is important to contact emergency services. This can be done by calling 911 or being taken to a hospital. The risk of infection increases with time.
2. Identify the Owner: This can be done by yourself (if the injuries are not severe) or by a witness. You should obtain the owner’s name, proof of rabies vaccination, and home address. It is essential to get their insurance information to file a claim.
3. Report to the Police: You must report the accident to the corresponding authorities after being treated. These documents will help prove your case.
4. Collect Information: In addition to getting the dog’s history, you should document and photograph your injuries. It is also recommended to write down the facts of the event in a notebook to present as evidence.
5. Contact an Attorney: Dog bite cases are often very complex. Your attorney will always have your best interests in mind and will fight for your case.

Check if homeowner’s insurance covers dog bite cases.

This type of insurance may cover medical expenses if you are found responsible for an accident caused by your dog. This can be covered by the inclusion of personal liability coverage and medical payments coverage within the policy. It’s important to note that not all insurance policies cover these types of accidents. This depends on various factors such as the insurance company, the coverage policy, the dog’s breed, and your location. If you are the victim of an attack, it is important to request this type of insurance information from the owner when you are collecting information.

Types of Dog Bite Injuries

The injuries that can be inflicted by a dog can be extremely serious, including:

• Ripped or torn skin and flesh
• Rabies exposure
• Head injuries
• Neck injuries
• Brain injuries
• Broken bones
• Crush injuries
• Disfiguring injuries
• Facial injuries
• Emotional injuries
• Injuries leaving permanent scars on face, neck, arms, or other body parts
• Loss of life

Liability on Dog Bite Cases

Strict Liability

Under strict liability, no negligence or fault on the part of the owner must be shown in order to bring a suit against them. It is assumed that if a dog has attacked another domestic animal, such as a dog or cat, or a human, the owner already had the knowledge that their dog was a potential danger to others. In order to avoid being charged under strict liability, the dog owner must prove they had no prior knowledge of the dog’s aggression.

Negligence

In order for someone to recover damages under the legal theory of negligence, the plaintiff must show that the owner’s lack of reasonable care of the animal, whether it was abiding by leash laws, keeping the dog on the premises, or muzzling them when out in public, were the proximate cause of their injuries.

Landlord Liability

In some cases, the landlord may be held liable in dog bite injury cases, as well. This was seen in Matthews vs. Amberwood Associates Limited Partnership in 1998. In this case, the landlord was found liable for a pit bull attack that had occurred on their property. Tracey vs. Solesky references this case, stating, “…[W]here a landlord retained control over the matter of animals in the tenant’s apartment, coupled with the knowledge of past vicious behavior by the animal, the extremely dangerous nature of pit bull dogs, and the foreseeability of harm to persons and property in the apartment complex, the jury was justified in finding that the landlord had a duty to the plaintiffs and that the duty was breached.”

Under the law, landlords can be held responsible for dog attacks that occur on their property under certain circumstances. The first circumstance would be the landlord having actual knowledge of the dog living on the premises. The second would be if they had the ability to remove the dog from the premises, including through tenant eviction, yet neglected to do so; or if they did not have the ability to remove the dog, then they failed to post adequate warnings or inform their tenants appropriately. Lastly, if the landlord harbored the animal themselves, such as taking it out on walks, feeding it, or otherwise watching the dog while the owner was away, they then take on de facto ownership of the dog and can fall under strict liability.