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Dog bites are a shockingly common phenomenon, with around 4.5 million people suffering dog bites every year across the United States, and 800,000 people needing medical attention as a result. These bites are a serious matter, resulting in serious injuries to victims that can have long-term health effects, particularly to children. Unfortunately, not everyone takes the risk of dog bites seriously, increasing the risk of a bite.
Explaining Dog Bites
As a matter of law, dog bites are pretty much exactly what they sound like: someone’s dog goes out of control and bites someone unprovoked. Often, this happens because a dog is poorly trained and does not know how to remain calm around strangers, becoming overly protective of their owner. They can also happen if a dog is simply allowed to wander without a fence, leash, or other measures to prevent it from getting loose and attacking people.
How Dog Bites Can Be Dangerous
When a dog gets aggressive and chooses to bite someone, it can cause a potentially serious injury. Not only can these wounds become potentially life-threatening on their own, but dog bites have a high risk of becoming infected. This can lead to additional complications that can make it harder to recover and make it more likely that an injury will have long-lasting effects on a person’s health. The risk of dog bites is especially great to children, who are more vulnerable to the harm that can be inflicted by an out-of-control canine.
Dog Bites in Personal Injury Law
As a matter of law, dog owners are responsible for keeping their dogs under control and preventing them from biting people. This means they must ensure their dogs are adequately trained not to bite strangers, and especially to behave around children. When a dog owner takes their dog outside, they must be placed on a leash, and any yard on the owner’s property must be fenced in to prevent a dog from escaping the property and attacking someone. A dog owner who fails to adhere to these basic standards can be held legally liable if someone is injured by their dog.
What Happens if You Are Bitten
If you or someone you love has been the victim of a serious dog bite, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible. These injuries can be potentially devastating for a person’s life and well-being, and you may be entitled to compensation as a result. The sooner you get in contact with a personal injury lawyer that has experience handling dog bite cases, the sooner you can get the justice you deserve.
For more than 40 years, the Drucker Law Firm has been providing personal and quality legal services to individuals, universities, and corporations throughout the New York City and Tri-State area. We have represented three generations of clients in personal injury cases, as well as immigration, real estate, and general litigation matters. If you have a legal issue related to personal injury law, please give us a call at (718) 458-1489 to schedule a consultation or visit our contact page.
