DOG BITE SETTLEMENT LAWYERS USA

A dog bite settlement is payable for injury and loss by the owner or person in control of the animal at the time the violent assault. Realistically the majority of compensation claims are paid out by insurers under either specific pet policies or under household policies which contain cover for liability for damage and injury caused by domestic animals. Where there is no insurance cover it is frequently difficult to obtain a dog bite settlement as the owner of the dog is often impecunious and unable to pay although strictly speaking they remain personably liable for any awards of damages made against them. Unless there is some evidence that the uninsured owner has assets which can be used to satisfy any judgment it would not be advisable to take action because of the real likelihood of failing too recover either compensation or the legal costs expended by a lawyer using a contingency fee arrangement.

If you have been injured and liability can be established then you are entitled to be compensated for all the losses that you have suffered. You are entitled to a dog bite settlement for the pain and suffering that you have gone through as a result of the injury and compensation should also include past and future medical costs and past and future wage losses together with any detrimental change in lifestyle and compensation for any losses of personal property.

How much compensation an injured person will receive in a dog bite settlement depends on the extent and severity of the injury, the treatment, the amount of permanent or residual damage, the effect on lifestyle and the ability to work. Lawyers separate compensation into two categories which are General Damages and Special Damages :-

Special Damages are losses that can be accurately calculated including past and future loss of earnings, medical expenses including treatment for scarring iin the future, other quantifiable losses and expenses and damage to property.

General damages are those items that are difficult to calculate accurately and include physical and emotional pain and suffering, loss of the enjoyment of life and psychological injuries such as depression, or post traumatic stress disorder. Valuation of the dog bite settlement follows consideration of medical reports prepared by a medical specialist after physical examination and perusal of all medical records.

If you are the innocent victim of an attack then you may be able to recover compensation using a contingency fee arrangement which means that if your lawyer doesn't succeed in getting a settlement for you then he won't get paid his legal fees. Our lawyers have a client centred approach with a track record of successful dog bite settlements and you can rest assured that your claim is in safe experienced hands.

For free advice without obligation about a potential dog bite settlement just complete the contact form and a member of The American Association Of Trial Lawyers will telephone you immediately to discuss your compensation claim.

Location of Attack

The law relating to a dog bite settlement varies dependent on the location of where the attack took place. When considering taking action to claim compensation for injury it is necessary to initially consider common law which consists of the general rules that have come into being as a result of the decisions of judges in the courts over a long period of time and thereafter to consider State legislation and how that legislation has been affected by local town or city statutes.

Many towns have statutes to protect the public the most common of which is a “leash law” which usually requires the owner to exercise permanent control of the dog although not necessarily by physical restraint. The mere presence of a controlling owner is often sufficient to ensure compliance with leash law however failure to comply does ensure that the owner is liable to pay a dog bite settlement for any injury subsequently caused.

Some States ensure that the owner or the person in control is strictly liable for any dog bites and is based on ownership of the dog. In these cases the owner is liable to pay a dog bite settlement in almost all circumstances where physical injury has been caused. The States that do not adhere to strict liability usually maintain that an owner is only liable if the animal has shown previous aggressive tendencies. Usually the dog does not need to have actually bitten before but must have shown the potential for violent behavor.

There are several exceptions to the ability to claim compensation and these include cases where the victim has teased the animal, claims where the person concerned was a trespasser on the owners property and had no good reason to be there subject to some exceptions for children and veterinarians who accept risk and whose expertise should be expected to keep them safe from harm.

Dog Bite Statistics – Facts & Figures

United States dog bite statistics show that every year almost 5 million people suffer from a bite injury which represents 2% of the population. Most people will suffer from this type of injury at some time during their lives.

There are over 60 million dogs in the United States with one being resident in approximately 40% of US households. A quarter of these owners possess two or more dogs.

Almost 1 million of these bites require medical treatment every year with one third of those victims attending a hospital emergency department. These injuries are the second most common cause for attendance at a hospital emergency room for children and incidence of these injuries has risen by over a third in the last ten years.

The breeds most likely to to feature in dog bite statistics are are pit bull terriers , rottweilers, german shepherds, huskies, alaskan malamutes, doberman pinschers, chows, great danes, st. bernards and akitas. There is an 80% chance that a biting animal is male.

Fatal attacks have been attributed to at least 30 breeds and the average number of deaths per year over the last 25 years was approxamately 17 with most of the fatally injured victims being children.

Bites to children represent more than half of the total number cases and the average age of victims is 15 years, with boys aged 5 to 9 years, having the highest incidence of injury.

The majority of attacks happen at home and most biting dogs belong to the victim's family or a friend with the face being the most frequent target of all injures.

Attack victims in the U.S. suffer over $1 billion in monetary losses every year. Figures from the insurance industry shows that one in three homeowner insurance claims appertains to this type of injury. The average insurance payout for a dog bite settlement is $12,000 and the total losses suffered by victims and insurers in the U.S. is estimated at several billion dollars every year.

Every year almost 3,000 postmen are bitten with most injuries occurring to the lower extremities.