Atlanta Dog Bite Attorney
Victims injured in dog attacks or animal attacks have a right to seek compensation from the owner or party responsible for caring for the animal. Examples of negligence include:
- Your friend’s dog bites you while you are visiting your friend at their home
- A neighbor’s dog jumps a fence and bites you out on the sidewalk
- An owner walking their dog on a leash cannot control their dog, which attacks you
- A family member brings their dog to your home, which bites your child
If you were attacked by a dog or other animal, Christine Forsythe at The Forsythe Law Firm, LLC can help explain your rights and take legal action to ensure fair compensation for your damages.
The Bite Victim is Sometimes at Fault
There are instances when a bite victim might lose a claim, or their claim might be devalued, because of actions they took leading up to the dog bite or animal attack. For example, if someone teased, taunted, or harmed a dog that then attacked them, the defendant would likely lose their case. OTher scenarios that might reduce the value of your claim or make it difficult to win your claim include trespassing, breaking an entering, rough-housing with a dog that bit you while playing, or doing something that made the dog defend itself or another dog, such as aggressively taking away a newborn puppy.
How a Dog Bite Claims Works
While pitbulls, doberman pinscher, German shepherds, and other “attack” dogs are the most likely to kill or cause debilitating injury, virtually all dogs have the biting power to cause serious damage. Sometimes it is the smallest dog on the street with the worst attitude. Regardless of the size or breed of the dog that bit you, you have the option of holding the negligent owner accountable for your damages. By filing a claim with the owner’s renters or homeowners’ insurance company, you are merely seeking the medical bills, lost wages due to disability, pain and suffering, and other damages that have been caused to you—financial damages you should not have to pay for yourself. And, if you are worried about filing a claim with a family member or friend, rest assured that it will be their insurance company paying the bill, not your loved one directly.
Dog Bite and Animal Attack Injuries
Even a relatively small, quick nip from a dog can easily tear the skin and underlying tissue of a human, require stitches, antibiotics, and follow-up appointments. More serious attacks can cause damage to muscles and tendons, amputation of fingers or limbs, severe and permanent facial scarring, damage to genitals—a body part dogs often go after—PTSD, and a life-long fear of dogs of the particular animal that the victim was attacked by. Sometimes the worst injury caused by the incident is not a bite wound at all, but a fractured arm or traumatic brain injury as a result of tripping and falling while trying to get away from or protect oneself from the attacking animal. Whatever your injuries may be, they should be covered by the at-fault party.
Call an Atlanta Slip and Fall Attorney Today
Dog bites and animal attacks are serious incidents that should be handled by an attorney with experience filing personal injury claims in such matters. Call Atlanta dog bite and animal attack attorney Christine Forsythe at The Forsythe Law Firm, LLC. today at 404.476.2717 to schedule a free consultation. In addition to her practice, Christine Forsythe is highly involved in the American Bar Association, speaks at numerous conferences throughout the year, and is dedicated to giving back to her community by providing the highest level of legal service to her clients.
