Dogs are an important part of many families. They’re excellent companions and can bring a lot of joy to their owners. However, dogs can become defensive and sometimes dangerous. They may bite someone who gets too close. A dog bite can cause terrible injuries and the experience can traumatize victims. If you or a loved one were harmed in a dog attack, our Ottawa dog bite lawyers are here for you.
Schweickert Ganassin Krzak Rundio, LLP is a personal injury law firm in Illinois with dependable lawyers who fight for their clients’ rights. We have experience in premises liability and know how difficult a dog bite case can be. With us at your side, you can have peace of mind that your rights are protected.
While dog bites can cause medical issues, the ordeal can also leave the person who was bitten in a difficult situation. It’s likely they know the owner of the dog who bit them. The owner may defend their pet and you may be hesitant in deciding whether or not to file a claim. While these situations can feel uncomfortable, the bottom line is their dog caused your injuries. There are laws in place to protect you if you have been bitten by a dog, and your health and recovery is important.
It’s possible your injuries needed medical treatment and that you’ll need continued treatment to recover. If you had to visit the hospital or perhaps needed certain tests to evaluate your injuries, you will have incurred medical expenses. If you’ve missed work, you may also be worrying about lost wages. When you file a claim, your lawyer in Ottawa will fight so your compensation covers those financial losses as well as the pain and suffering, scarring, and disfigurement the dog bite may have left you with.
You may have many questions about the incident. Let’s take a look at more information about dog bites and the situations where they are likely to arise.
Where Can Dog Bites Happen?
While you may expect dog bites to happen at parks, dog bites can also happen on the dog owner’s property. When an owner has their dog in a public area, it’s likely they’ll have the dog on a leash. They’ll be in control of their pet. However, when the animal is at home, it will probably be off leash and can roam the house or yard.
There are a few ways that a dog can feel threatened to the point where they bite someone. If they feel someone is encroaching on their territory, getting too close to their food when they’re eating, approaching them while they’re caring for puppies, or startling the dog when it’s sleeping, it may resort to biting.
However, the owner has a responsibility to be in control of their dog and make sure no harm comes to anyone. If a dog bites someone, the consequences can be severe.
The Complexities of Dog Bite Injuries
Children make up more than 50% of dog bite victims. About 26% of children need to go to the emergency room or get medical treatment after a dog bite. However, anyone can be attacked by a dog.
A dog bite can cause painful injuries. If the dog clamps down and starts to move its head back and forth, the skin or soft tissue underneath the skin or muscle can tear. If the head, face, or neck are bitten, the injuries could need immediate medical treatment. Some bites may result in permanent disfigurement.
Dog bites can also pass along bacteria and infect the wound. If the dog is unknown or you don’t know if the dog is up to date on its shots, you need to get to a doctor immediately. The dog could have a serious disease like rabies.
Dogs may also cause other kinds of injuries besides a bite. Large dogs can run into people, make them lose their balance and fall over. When someone falls, they can sprain their wrists or ankles, break bones, or get cuts and bruises. In more serious cases, falling over after a dog attack could cause head or brain injuries. If a dog knocks over an elderly person, they may be at risk of getting a hip fracture.
In addition to physical wounds, a dog attack can cause a number of psychological injuries. The person may develop a phobia of dogs or feel too scared to go back to the area where the incident happened.
Physical and psychological injuries all need medical care. Those with psychological injuries may not feel like they need treatment and the problem will eventually go away. However, over time, they may realize that’s not the case. They may need to go see a therapist or other medical professional to help get through the psychological aspect of their injuries.
When our Ottawa lawyers review your case, we’ll take all injuries from the incident into account. We will pursue your claim to get you maximum compensation through settlement or trial, if necessary.
Seek Legal Recourse
You may feel at a loss regarding what to do after a dog bite. Our lawyers may be able to help you get compensation for your injuries. The sooner you get started on your claim, the sooner you can move forward toward trial or settlement and continue your recovery process. Contact our law office today so we can plan a free consultation to go over your case.
