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4.7 Million People are Attacked by Dogs every year
Dogs are great pets. Heck, they’re man’s best friend. So it’s no surprise that there are an estimated 75 million dogs of varying breeds in the United States today. What is a surprise, however, is that the United States Humane Society estimates that dogs bite 4.7 million people every year, 800,000 of whom suffer serious injuries, that is where dog bite attorneys come into play. What’s even more surprising is that most dog attacks happen near the victim’s home by dogs known to the victim. Sadly, most dog attack victims are children just looking for a friend.
Dogs are animals. And, while most dogs are domesticated, they still have animalistic instincts and tendencies. So, to protect us from dogs gone bad, so to speak, we have a slew of laws holding dog owners, handlers, breeders, and the like responsible for dogs that attack innocent people (and other animals). As a dog bite attorney here at Gibbons Legal, P.C., I will be to sure educate all victims on every aspect of dog bite cases.
Two Types of Dog Laws
There are two types of dog law, the common law and what we call the severe injury law.
The common law, also known as the one bite rule, allows the victim to recover damages (i.e., money) for injuries suffered in an attack by a dog that his bitten before or showed a tendency to bite.
The severe injury law, which the dog bite attorney will notify you if applicable in cases where the attacking dog has never bitten before, has two different classifications – severe injuries and non-severe injuries. A severe injury is defined as death, a broken bone, or any disfiguring laceration needing stitches or cosmetic surgery. All other injuries are considered non-severe. In severe injury cases, the victim has no limit to the damages they can recover if they prove the dog attacked without provocation. But in non-severe injury cases, the victim is limited to only medical expenses and need only prove the defendant owned, handled, or bred the dog.
Those Injured by a Dog May Have Multiple Claims
Depending on the specific facts of the accident, those injured by a dog may have claims against multiple defendants, including the owner or handler of the dog, the breeder of the dog, the state, city, or township in which the accident happened, and many others.
If you or a loved one have been injured by a dog, you may be entitled to compensation for past, present, and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and much, much more. Our dog bite attorney’s goal is not just to secure compensation for your immediate needs, but to ensure that your future needs are protected as well.
For more information, and a FREE case evaluation, please contact us today at Gibbons Legal, and visit our office, convenient to Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Bucks County, and Philadelphia.
