Dog owners have an obligation to prevent injuries sustained from their dogs on their properties and the properties of others. When an owner does not properly restrain a dog with a history of attacks, this demonstrates negligence. The majority of dog bites every year are children. A dog bite attorney may protect your rights as an innocent victim of a brutal dog attack.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
Dog bites are serious matters and can often result in severe, debilitating injuries and even death. Dog bite injuries can include:
- Cuts and lacerations
- Puncture wounds
- Muscle and tissue damage
- Eye injuries and loss of vision
- Internal Injuries
- Broken bones or ligament injuries from falling during the attack
- Brain injuries from head trauma
- Amputation of finger, toes, or even limbs
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Nerve damage
- Paralysis from spinal cord injuries
- Infections from rabies, cellulitis, Pasteurella, and MRSA
- Emotional trauma, depression, anxiety, and PTSD
A dog bite lawyer can help victims seek fair compensation for these types of injuries as well as the loss of wages, medical bills, and reduced quality of life.
Tips on What to Do Immediately After a Dog Bite
Your first concern immediately after a dog attack should be about your health and safety.
- For serious, life-threatening wounds, call 911
- Find the owner of the dog to confirm that the dog’s rabies shots are up-to-date
- Get the dog owner’s contact information
- Call animal control for a stray dog to quarantine it for rabies
- Obtain the names and phone numbers of witnesses
- Take photos of the attack scene, the dog and your injuries
If your wounds are too severe to take steps such as taking photos or getting witness information, don’t hesitate to call law enforcement to handle that for you while you seek immediate medical attention. Seek medical attention to evaluate your wounds even if they appear minor to you.
Next Steps in Handling a Dog Bite
Once you have attended to your wounds, then you can start taking steps to support your liability claim with the dog’s owner. The first thing you may need to do preserve any evidence from the attack, including any ripped or blood-soaked clothes. Next, take detailed notes surrounding the events of the attack. Be sure to make copies of your medical records and keep everything together with your notes. If the dog attack happened on the owner’s property, contact the dog’s owner, and ask for the home owner’s insurance policy information. If the attack occurred on your property, your property insurance may cover some of the compensation for your injuries. Insurance policies have limits on what they cover. For example, they usually don’t cover pain and suffering or loss of earning capacity.
Contact a Dog Bite Lawyer Austin
The best time to contact a personal injury lawyer about a dog bite is close to the time of the attack after you have received medical care. Most dog bite injury lawyers offer a no-cost initial consultation. A dog bite lawyer in Austin can advise you about how the laws in your area affect your claim and what mistakes to avoid that can jeopardize rather than help you obtain fair compensation. A dog bite attorney can even assist you in filing your insurance claim. A dog bite injury lawyer can investigate the dog’s history with law enforcement and animal control to prove negligence with a dog that has had a history of previous attacks. A dog bite attorney can help you obtain fair compensation for your injuries, pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life or ability to earn an income. Most dog bite claims are settled without a trial after negotiations with the insurance company and the dog’s owner.
Talk to an Attorney Today About Your Dog Bite Case
If you or someone you care about has experienced a dog bite in and around Austin, Texas, contact the Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas (LRS) for assistance in finding a dog bite injury lawyer. We can help you find the right dog bite attorney for your case. Contact us today.
