Dog Bite Injuries

Dog Bite Injuries

Dog Bite Injuries

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento dog attack lawyer. Nothing is quite as terrifying as a vicious animal attack on an adult except for when a young child becomes the victim of a dog bite injury. When this kind of tragedy happens, it is very important to seek immediate medical attention.

Reporting the Incident

Once you have been treated for your injuries, the next step is to contact Sacramento County Department of Animal Care at (916) 368-7387 (PETS). They will assist you with the process of reporting the animal attack or dog bite. Emergency and other medical providers are required by law to call and make a report of animal bites as well.

What If I Did Not Seek Medical Attention?

If you did not go to the doctor you are putting your life at risk. You should go get checked out even if you think your bite is not severe enough. It is important to be examined in case you have been exposed to rabies. Infections are also quite common after a bite. If you obtained no such medical treatment, you still need to call the above number to report the bite. By law, dog and other animal bite attacks must be investigated. Conducting a dog or animal bite investigation will not automatically trigger an animal impound or putting down of the biting animal. It will start an investigation to see if vaccinations and licenses are current. The Department of Animal Care has the task of protecting the safety and well-being of the general public.

What Information Do They Need?

• Bite information – how serious, where injured and to what degree, where you were treated, what kind of treatment.
• Address – give them the address where the bite happened.
• Victim informaton – your name, address and phone number.
• Animal owner information – name, address and phone number.
• Biting animal information – size, breed, color, gender, name and general description of the animal.
• Vaccination or license information (if available).

Once you have reported the bite, the owner of the animal can be visited by animal control officers to verify that vaccinations, etc are current.

Varying Degree of Dog Bite Injuries

Our dog attack lawyers have helped victims recover compensation for varying degrees of dog bite injuries, such as:

• Infections
• Facial Lacerations
• Facial Scarring
• Amputation Injuries
• Throat Injuries
• Eye Injuries
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Symptoms and others signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children may include:

• Behavior problems
• Nightmares
• Irritability
• Excessive anxiety
• Reduced creativity
• Decreased academic performance
• Changes in appetite
• Withdrawal
• Depression
• Excessive startle responses
• Changes in behavior

Any one of the above symptoms can impede the expected academic, social and emotional growth of your child.

Hiring a Dog Attack Lawyer 

In every animal bite case, the first thing an experienced dog attack lawyer looks at is the available insurance. Simply stated, if the owner or other responsible person for the dog bite injury does not have insurance then there is little likelihood of recovering compensation for your losses.

What Kind of Insurance Do They Need to Have?

A policy of homeowner’s insurance is the most common type that will cover dog bite injuries. Sometimes, auto insurance coverage may apply. Especially, if the dog bite took place near or around an insured motor vehicle. Sometimes, a Renter’s policy may exist. It is important to have an experienced dog attack lawyer in your corner to determine what kind of coverage, if any, exists.

If there is an apartment complex with a commercial landlord involved, there might be insurance coverage through that party that may apply. However, it largely depends on the factual details. For example, a landlord might only be liable if he or she had knowledge that the dog on his or her premises was vicious.

On some of these insurance policies there are breeds, such as Rottweiler’s and Pitbulls that may be excluded. Unfortunately, this is often what happens, but our dog attack lawyers will check the policy carefully to verify the information.

How Do I Recover My Losses if No Insurance Available?

If there is no policy of insurance, a dog bite victim can still go after the animal owner. The only issue is that there is often no good way to collect unless such dog owner has some form of independent wealth.

When There is Insurance Available What Damages Are Recoverable?

When there is insurance available, dog bite victims may be able to recover things like past and future medical expenses, compensation for pain and suffering, past and future lost income, the cost of counseling, plastic surgery and other related damages. Contact an experienced dog attack lawyer for more information.

Animal Attack and Dog Bite Injury Lawyers

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento dog attack lawyer. If you or someone you love has suffered dog bite injuries, please call me promptly at (916) 921-6400 for free, friendly advice. Or, if calling from outside of the Sacramento region, call me toll free at (800) 404-5400.

I have more than 33 years experience handling dog bite claims throughout northern California.

Please take a few minutes to look me up on Yelp, Avvo and Google.

I am proud to be listed with other top US trial laweyrs in the Million Dollar Adovates Forum. Members of this association have obtained mulitiple million dollar case verdicts and settlements for the clients they serve.

Here is a listing of my past verdicts and settlements.

Image Attribution: Public domain images via Wikimedia Commons

:bw