Dogs and other domesticated animals are wonderful companions. Most of the time, they provide love and companionship to everyone they meet. Unfortunately, poor breeding, lack of training, and genetics can sometimes converge to produce a dog that bites or attacks. The result of such an animal attack can be devastating injury and even death.
Repairing the physical and emotional damage from dog bites or other animal attack injuries is often costly. The San Diego dog bite attorneys of Phillips & Pelly can step in and ensure that the owner of a dangerous dog is held responsible for the victim's medical and counseling bills.
- Who is at Risk of Dog Bites
- What to Do After a Dog Bite or Animal Attack
- Determining Liability in an Dog Bites
- When to Seek a San Diego Dog Bite Attorney
Who is at Risk of Dog Bites
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, children are by far the most susceptible to dog bites. In San Diego and across the United States, hundreds of children are injured by dangerous dogs. In many cases, injuries are severe due to children's small size and relative inability to overpower an attacking dog.
Children are not the only at-risk animal attack demographic. Meter readers for electric and gas companies, postal workers, and delivery drivers also put their safety on the line each day as they perform their duties. When these workers enter a yard or other fenced area protected by an aggressive dog, the chance of attack and subsequent injury is very high.
What to Do After a Dog Bite or Animal Attack
If you are injured due to the actions of an aggressive dog or other animal, bites and attack wounds should be treated at the closest San Diego-area hospital. Do not hesitate to seek medical treatment, as dog bites can become infected very quickly. Also, the ragged wounds caused by animal mauling often require skilled surgery to minimize scarring and promote healing.
If at all possible, collect as much information as possible about the dog and its owner before reporting the animal attack to San Diego health officials. Authorities will quarantine the dog so they can find out if it is carrying any dangerous diseases such as rabies.
Before and during the healing process, keep as much documentation as possible, including multiple photographs of your injuries. Our attorneys will do everything they can to collect additional information from doctors and witnesses, but sometimes the best evidence of an animal attack is the injury itself.
Determining Liability in a Dog Bite
Animal attack liability laws in California state that a dog owner is responsible for any injury caused by his or her dog, as long as the victim was lawfully located on either public or private property. There is no leniency granted for a first offense or the owner's lack of knowledge of the dog's vicious tendencies.
The strongest animal attack cases are the ones that clearly show the victim to have been in a public area or legally on private property at the time of the dog attack. Witness and police reports are usually the best source of documentation for this purpose.
When to Seek a San Diego Dog Bite Attorney
Not every owner of a dog that bites is irresponsible, and not every animal attack victim needs extensive medical attention. If you have been bitten by a dog or another animal and are unsure whether to retain the services of a San diego dog bite attorney, you should take into account several factors.
In cases of severe mauling, a victim may need several years of medical treatment. After the initial wounds have been treated, plastic surgery may be required to repair disfigured areas of the body. Some victims find that they need psychiatric counseling to overcome a newfound fear of strange dogs. Depending on medical insurance to cover the cost of such treatments is risky due to the long-term nature of care, and expecting the dog's owner to continue paying your bills, riskier still.
The dog bite attorneys in San Diego of Phillips & Pelly can make the distressing days and weeks after sustaining injuries from dog bites or an animal attack much easier. At our San Diego firm, our animal attack injury attorneys will assist victims by compiling necessary documentation, talking to witnesses, and filing legal paperwork within the timeframe set forth by the statute of limitations.
Contact Our Animal Attack Lawyers Today!
If you or a family member have suffered dog bites in a recent animal attack, contact our San Diego office. Our San Diego dog bite lawyers will take care of the details so you can focus on putting your life back together.
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