Yes, we handle cases involving dog bites, animal bites, and hunting accidents. Dog bites in children are a good case because children often have scarring from animal bites. The old saying that every dog gets that one bite before the owner can be held to be liable is not exactly true because there are a lot of ordinances, local ordinances and county ordinances.
If the dog bit someone when it was off leash, then it would be a violation of an ordinance which would create a situation of negligence, per se. It would be a case of negligence by violation of a statute, so the person would not necessarily need to have existing or prior knowledge that the dog was vicious or had dangerous propensities.
We have handled a couple of these over time. We had a really bad one recently where a dog ran out and attacked someone on a bike. The person was in his seventies and his injuries were so severe that it changed the way he would have to live the rest of his life because he sustained multiple broken bones.
Dog bites can be really tricky because early on it would have to be established whose dog it was. A lot of times when something really bad happened, it would turn out that the dog was not registered or there was some similar issue. To establish fault in those cases it would need to be established very quickly where the dog came from, who was responsible for it and who was taking care of it.
Are Dog Bites A Common Occurrence And On What Area Of The Body Do These Injuries Typically Occur?
Dog bites do occur in a couple of areas and it is more common than people realize. They can occur on the legs because of dogs biting at the legs, but they can also occur on the hands and face. Kids who lean down and pet the dog might get nipped on the face or on the hand, and depending on the kind of dog, mauling might also occur.
For more information on Animal Bites And Personal Injury, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking talk Arnold F. Phillips by calling (301) 387-2800 today.
