Animal & Dog Bites

Dog attacks can be extremely dangerous in some situations.  A frightened or dominant dog can be ferocious, and do great harm to a human.  Dog owners are responsible to keep his animal under control.  In many cases, if their dog attacks another person, the owner is responsible for that attack. 

Literally millions of people are bitten by dogs in the US every year.  One in six require medical care.  You need to know what your rights are if you have outstanding bills due to an animal attack.  

Insurance Issues: 

One of the main problems with dog attack cases is verifying who is responsible for the attack, and then which insurance company (if any) owes for the liability claim.  Often, the dog is running loose, and the owner may not come forward to claim the animal.  Sometimes the owner claims that someone must have opened his gate and let his dog(s) out.  Sometimes the owner of the dog is renting his house, and has no "liability insurance" that would cover the claim.  The owner of the house who is renting to the owner of the dog, often claims that they had no knowledge that the dog was there, or that the dog was dangerous.  All these present problems in trying to pursue your claim against the owner of the dog for the injury, harms, and losses you suffered from this attack.  

Codes & Ordinances: 

In addition to plain old negligence on the part of the owner for letting his dog loose or letting the dog attack you, there are often city codes and ordinances that address dog attack cases.  There are leash laws, laws requiring enclosures for dogs, laws requiring dangerous dogs be kept in a certain manner - or removed from the city boundaries in some places.  People don't always follow the law, so you will need to see what the codes and ordinances that deal with dogs are in your municipality in order to know if one of these codes or ordinances were breached.  Proof of a breach of an ordinance can sometimes overcome a defense that an insurance company may attempt in order to avoid paying your case. 

Seek medical care for your injuries if you need it.  Get all the records regarding your attack, including animal control records, medical records, police reports, and any other records/reports regarding what happened.  Take pictures of any injury.  It is easier to show a picture of an injury than to describe it verbally. 

If you have been attacked by a dog or any animal, contact us online or call (972) 599-4100 for a FREE consultation regarding your case.

By Doug Goyen, douggoyen@gmail.com 

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