Millions of Americans are bitten by dogs every year.
While many of these bites are not particularly serious, these dog bites result in hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits.
Some of these attacks result in very serious injury and sometimes even death.
The CDC estimates that the yearly national death toll from dog attacks is around two dozen.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a dog bite an experienced Atlanta dog bite attorney can help.
Holding the dog owner responsible for your injuries can be very complex.
This is especially true in the state of Georgia, where the law is considered are more favorable for dog owners.
This makes qualified dog bite attorneys even more important.
If you have been attacked by a dog or another animal, it is always important to identify the animal that bit you.
If you have been attacked by a dog or other animal that is owned by another individual, you may be entitled to compensation.
If there were witnesses to the attack, make sure you make contact with these people and that you collect their contact information.
Take photographs of any and all wounds caused by the attack.
If you are being attacked remain calm.
If you panic, you may give the dog confidence or you may appear threatening to the dog.
If you are the victim of an attack you need to:
Georgia law protects dog bite victims by providing two ways an animal owner can be held liable for injuries caused by their dogs:
What constitutes a violation of the leash law will vary from county to county as leash laws are under the umbrella of ordinances enforced by the county.
Georgia’s dog bite statute is considered more favorable to dog owners.
This is due to the fact that in one of the two conditions, you have to prove that the dog was dangerous and the owner knew the dog was dangerous at the time of the bite.
In 2012, three years after an especially brutal dog attack, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed the Georgia Responsible Dog Owner Act.
The key changes in the act relating to the way in which a dangerous dog is defined in Georgia.
A dangerous dog is considered a dog that causes a substantial wound to a person or aggressively acts as a person posing a threat of serious injury.
Dangerous dogs are no longer allowed off the owner’s property unless they are completely restrained the entire time.
Once a dog is listed as a dangerous dog with the state, it does not get a second chance if it attacks a person and the owner must maintain at least fifty thousand dollars worth of insurance on the dog.
An experienced Georgia dog bite lawyer can help you with the process no matter what the details may be regarding your dog attack.
You will want to consider retaining a Georgia dog bite attorney before you participate in any legal proceedings and before speaking with an insurance company or anyone else.
Most of the time, a dog owner will have insurance.
If this is the case, expect a call from the insurance company.
They will ask to talk about your claim. If this happens to you, ask for the name of the insurance company, the telephone number, claim number, name of the person, and the address of the insurance company’s office.
Never talk about money or any type of settlement.
Further do not set up any meeting without a qualified attorney to represent you.
The insurance company is trying to limit its liability and reduce its expenses.
They are not on your side, they have a team of lawyers and agents, whose sole job is to limit how much money you collect.
You need to even the playing field with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Atlanta, do not go against the big insurance companies alone.
There’s no way to put a specific figure on your case without a detailed study of the case by an experienced dog attack attorney.
A victim of a dog bite can seek several types of compensation including all scars, current, and future medical costs, emotional distress, and any other factors related to the attack.
One thing that is clear is that an insurance company will do their best not to pay you what your case is truly worth.
Dog bite cases can be complicated and many insurance companies will not pay a settlement request until the person bitten retains a lawyer.
In most cases, a lawyer is necessary to represent victims in dog bite cases so that their rights are protected.
The ultimate goal for dog bite laws is the responsibility and protecting the innocent.
If you have an animal, you need to provide the necessary health care and training to control the animal.
For instance:
If you have a dog behind a fence- how secure is the fence, has it been maintained, is the gate secure, would others (service people) be likely not to close the gate securely?
Unfortunately, dog bites remain very common and can have serious consequences, including permanent disfigurement, nerve and tissue damage, and psychological trauma.
In extreme cases, dog attacks may result in death.
In either case, you will need the help of an experienced dog bite attorney.
The Angell Law Firm has almost 20 years of trial experience successfully representing our clients.
Contact The Angell Law Firm today to schedule a consultation.
Bryce is considered a highly esteemed trial lawyer and a passionate client advocate amongst his peers in the Atlanta legal community. Never afraid to go the extra mile for his clients, Bryce Angell works tirelessly to ensure that each client’s personal injury case gets the attention that it deserves.