Practice Areas / Personal Injury
Animal Bites
Thousands of people each year are bitten by animals, and have to seek medical treatment for their injuries. Animal bites can be very serious, and may require the person bitten to receive a tetanus shot, stitches, antibiotics, and even surgery.
While the most common of animal bites come from dogs, there are a number of other animals that can cause severe injuries including cats, opossum, raccoons, and even rodents.
What to do if an animal bites you
If an animal bites you, due to the unknown health of the animal, you need to seek medical attention right away. If no medical help is sought, your injuries could become more severe, and the bite may end up being fatal.
You’ll also want to gather as many witness statements as possible and take down their names, addresses and phone numbers for future reference.
The next step would be to contact an attorney who deals with animal bites.
Who is liable for animal bites?
In most cases, the owner of the animal is liable for any injuries the animal causes. Especially if the owner already has a reason to know the animal is dangerous or has a potential to be dangerous.
This determination can be difficult, however, because unless an animal has already bitten someone, it’s hard to prove that an owner knows their animal is potentially harmful.
If you’ve been bitten, a good animal bite lawyer will be able to dig deep and determine whether or not the owners should have known their animal has the potential to be dangerous.
It is also possible that animal keepers, parents of minors, landlords and property owners might be responsible. This will depend on the individual circumstances regarding your case.
Recover the most damages with the help of a lawyer
It’s nearly impossible to successfully pursue an animal bite claim alone, so if you’ve been bitten and want to recover the damages you’ve been caused including your medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and other expenses related to the injury, the best option is to contact an experienced attorney to handle the case for you.
