Call a Dog Bite Lawyer Immediately after a Dog Bite Attack

If you have been injured by a dog bite attack, you need to call a Top Dog Bite Lawyer for a Free Consultation immediately. The injuries, scars, and damages from a dog bite attack can be painful, emotional, expensive, and permanent.

Dog bite injuries can range from cosmetic scarring with pain and suffering and even death. Attacks in Detroit and surrounding areas alone are too numerous. and the attacks are numerous.

On August 22, 2019, WXYZ Detroit ran a story regarding dog bite attacks including fatalities. Channel 7 Action News reported Detroit Animal Control received reports of 460 dog bites the prior year and 52 in July of 2019. During the prior 12 months, 911 had received reports of 256 dog attacks. Many of these attacks could be prevented with responsible ownership and control of these dogs.

Dog Bite Statute of Limitations

After a dog bite attack, you have 3 years to file a law suit. This is called the Statute of Limitations. In cases involving minor children, however, the statute of limitations may be extended to the child’s 19th birthday.

Even though you have this amount of time which appears to be generous, you actually must act very quickly. You must take immediate action to get appropriate medical treatment. You must also immediately contact the proper authorities to locate the offending dog and responsible parties to pursue compensation for your dog bite injuries.

Who is Responsible For Injuries and Expenses After a Dog Bite Attack?

A dog owner whose dog attacks somebody can be responsible for injuries and damages suffered under multiple theories of liability in Michigan. There can be other responsible parties in addition to dog bite owners. These will be matters for a qualified Dog Bite lawyer.

Michigan Imposes Strict Liability on Dog Owners under the Michigan Dog Bite Statute

Michigan has a Dog Bite Statute that specifically addresses dog bite incidents. It places strict liability on the owner of the dog for “dog bites.” Strict Liability means the dog owners cannot escape liability by claiming they never knew of the dog’s vicious propensities before. The Dog Bite Statute has some requirements including:

  • The injury must have been caused by a “dog bite”
  • The dog was not provoked
  • The person who was bit was in a public place or was lawfully on private property

Dog Owners May Be Held Reponsible for Dog Bite Injuries Even if the Dog Bite Statute Doesn’t Apply

Sometimes a dog attack may occur which does not fit within the terms of the Michigan Dog Bite Statute. In such cases, the Michigan Courts have still allowed Dog Bite cases to proceed based upon common law negligence principles. For example, a dog may injure a person not by biting but by jumping or knocking into somebody. The Dog Bite Statute would not apply to that injury because there was no “dog bite.” However, common law negligence principles may still apply to hold the dog owner liable for injuries.

In 1994, the Michigan Supreme Court decided a case in which the injured dog bite victim alleged injuries under both the Dog Bite Statute and under common law negligence principles. The case was Trager v Thor, 445 Mich 95; 516 NW2d 69 (1994). Although the court recognized no claim under the Statute, the court still allowed the claim to proceed under common law negligence.

Insurance companies like to try to use the “provocation” defense whenever they can to deny your claim. This is even more reason to act quickly after a dog bite attack. Insurance companies will act quickly to find witnesses willing to say you provoked the animal. You want your Dog Bite Attorney to speak with the witnesses before the insurance company can distort their recollection of the events.

What Should You Do After a Dog Bite Attack?

There are several things you should do right away after a Dog Bite Attack . You should act immediately to protect your health and to protect your right to compensation. Likewise, you should help others avoid a dog attack by reporting the incident to the Police and Animal Control.

Seek Appropriate Medical Attention Immediately After a Dog Bite Attack

Dog bite attacks can cause a host of problems including pain, blood loss, infection, rabies, scarring, nerve damage, permanent injury, and even psychological issues. You should seek medical attention immediately following any dog bite injury. If you delay receiving medical treatment, infections may spread. Likewise, scarring may become worse and injuries may become more serious and possibly permanent.

Report the Dog Bite Attack to The Police And Or Animal Control Immediately

A common problem in dog bite cases involves preservation of evidence. After an attack, the dog that was involved will often disappear. You may have difficulty finding the offending dog. Also, it may be difficult locating and identifying the owner of the dog. These are reasons why you need to take action immediately. You can receive help in that regard by contacting the Police and Animal Control. They will attempt to locate the dog that bit you. Likewise, they will also try to locate the owner and anybody responsible for the dog.

Police and Animal Control can discover whether the dog has any identification chips or tags. They will also try to determine whether the dog has had all of its shots. They can determine whether the dog owner was in any way responsible for the attack. And, last but not least, they can remove the dog from the community so that it doesn’t attack anybody else.

You Should Call a Dog Bite Attorney Quickly After an Attack to Preserve Evidence

After you have obtained necessary medical treatment and you have alerted the Policed and Animal Control if available, call a qualified Dog Bite Attorney. A Dog Bite Lawyer can help gather and preserve evidence. A Lawyer can contact and speak with potential witnesses and neighbors before the insurance companies do to help prove your case. Likewise, a Dog Attack Lawyer can protect your claim to all damages to which you may be entitled.

What Damages Are Available in Dog Bite Attack Cases?

You should call an experienced Dog Bite Lawyer to discuss all of the damages you have and may likely suffer from your Dog Bite Attack. Some damages may be economic, some non-economic, some physical, and some may be psychological.

Dog Bite Attacks Can Cause Economic Damages

Injuries from a Dog Bite Attack can be very costly. You may require extensive medical treatment including surgery, therapy, psychotherapy, and even revision surgery. Scars can be very difficult to remove and often return in another shape or form after removal. Scars can often require several surgeries. This can occur over long periods of time and can be very expensive. These Economic damages can include:

  • Past, present, and anticipated future Medical Bills
  • Lost income
  • Medical supplies
  • Therapy bills

An experienced Dog Bite Lawyer can assist you with compiling and presenting economic damages and seeing that the responsible party pays you for these damages.

Dog Bite Attacks Can Cause Non-economic Damages

In addition to your out of pocket and economic expenses, you may also suffer non-economic Dog Bite damages. To name just a few, by way of example, these damages may include:

  • Pain and suffering, past, present, and future
  • Emotional suffering
  • Loss of quality and enjoyment of life
  • Anger, fear, and frustration
  • Lacerations
  • Puncture wounds
  • Nerve damage
  • Scarring
  • Infections

The Insurance Company Offered Me Money For My Dog Bite Injuries. Should I Take It?

You can bet that if the insurance company offers you money to settle your case before you hire an attorney, they have not offered enough to fully compensate you for your injuries.

First of all, you definitely need an attorney. Insurance companies will contact you after a dog bite attack as soon as they learn of it. You may even make the mistake of calling the insurance company without an attorney. They may offer you nothing and string you along until the Statute of Limitations expires which will preclude you forever from filing a Dog Bite lawsuit.

A more popular trick often played by insurance companies is to quickly offer you a very low amount that does not fully compensate you for your injuries. They will do this before you hire an attorney in hopes that you will accept the low-ball offer and sign a release. This happens too often. The problem is, people often don’t anticipate damages down the road such as future medical bills, future scarring, future surgeries, and even future emotional problems. Once you sign the release, you are releasing the responsible parties from all compensation you may be entitled to now and in the future. Avoid this trap and call an experienced Dog Bite Attorney immediately.

What Kind Of An Attorney Should I Call For My Dog Bite Injuries?

Call a Top Dog Bite Lawyer with the Highest A+ Rating attainable from the Better Business Bureau to win your Dog Bite case. You need an attorney who has experience winning jury trials and obtaining maximum settlements in cases involving Dog Bite Attacks.

Some attorneys try to settle dog bite cases very quickly for little more than nuisance value. They do this sometimes because they need the cash-flow. Sometimes, a dog bite case is not considered their top priority. You need a Dog Bite Law Firm that has the proper resources to go the whole way from incident to maximum recovery. You need a Dog Bite Attorney who has experience with past, present, and future Dog Bite damages so that they’ll know how to get every penny of compensation you deserve.

Many damages in a dog bite case will not manifest immediately and will present themselves years later, often after the case is over. That is why you need an Attorney who is experienced in the handling of Dog Bite cases who is aware of the tell-tale signs of future problems you may experience. When settling for maximum damages, your Dog Bite Lawyer must make sure that you receive proper compensation for all future damages as well as present damages. If the insurance company does not wish to pay proper compensation, the Best Dog Bite Lawyers will take them to trial and let a Jury make them pay.

Call The Law Offices of Donald H. Peters To Speak With a Dog Bite Lawyer

Call the Law Offices of Donald H. Peters for a Free Consultation after any dog bite attack. We will match you to the Best Dog Bite Lawyer for your particular situation, location, and damages. There are no upfront costs or attorney fees. You will not pay a dime until you receive a financial recovery. Your attorney fee will be a percentage of what you recover. There is absolutely no attorney fee if you lose.

Call For a Free Consultation to Speak with a Top Dog Bite Lawyer with the Highest A+ Rating from the Better Business Bureau. No Win – No Fee. Percentage Fee only if you win. No fee if you lose. CAll (248) 549-3485 – FREE CONSULTATION.

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Call A+ Rated Dog Bite Lawyer Donald H. Peters for a Free Consultation. (248) 549-3485. No Win – No Fee