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Need A Dog Bite Injury Lawyer?

A dog bite injury lawyer is usually one that specializes in personal injuries, although other attorneys may be willing to take the case. If you or your child has been bitten, it is in your best interest to contact an attorney. Here's why.

The laws regarding dog bites are complicated. They are a combination of federal, state and local statutes. Depending on where you live, a number of different statutes could apply.

In addition to the different laws based on locality, there are criminal, civil and administrative laws to consider. The civil laws apply to compensation for injuries or other damages done to the victim.

If your dog bite injury lawyer believes there is a case, criminal charges may be brought against the owner. If you feel the owner acted negligently or caused the attack, he or she should be punished. An example is when owners train their dogs to attack.

Another example would be failure to abide by a leash law. These criminal regulations may result only in a fine. It all depends on the seriousness of the attack and the injuries sustained.

Samantha Kubista

Jackson is a 14 month old male red tri Australian Shepherd. He is raw food fed and has won two blue ribbons in his obedience classes.

Administrative laws are those applying only to the animal. Dog bite attorneys are often asked what will happen to the animal. In many cases, the victims do not want something "bad" to happen to the dog(s).

The statutes vary from one place to another, but usually nothing bad happens. A 5-day-quarantine is typically required to ensure that the animal does not have rabies or another transmissible disease.

It is not essential for the victim to contact animal control. If you were bitten by a stray, you should contact the appropriate authorities. This will help to prevent other people from being injured.

The majority of bites occur in the dog's home. Friends come to visit. The mailman knocks on the door...

In those cases, contacting a dog bite injury lawyer is still a good idea. But you might be disinclined to contact animal control. Lawyers are not required to contact the authorities. If the client does not wish for animal control to be notified, the attorney must abide by the client's wishes.

Generally speaking, administrative laws will only come into play if animal control or the police are contacted. So, nothing happens to the dogs.

If you believe that an animal is dangerous, vicious or a public threat, you should contact the police and animal control. Only rarely are owners required to destroy the animal. Typically, they must agree to confine it to an escape-proof area, either within the home or with a well-built fence.

A Dog Bite Injury Lawyer May Work On Contingency

The fees charged by dog bite attorneys vary. Those that specialize in personal injuries will often accept the case on a contingency basis. They only collect their fees if you win the case.

The amount you are entitled to varies greatly. In some areas, you can only collect the cost of your medical bills. If no medical attention was required, you might not have a case. But a consultation with your dog bite injury lawyer is still a good idea.

If the injury occurred on the owner's property and you were invited, their homeowner's or renter's insurance should cover the incident. Anyone that owns dogs should be sure that their policies do not have a section excluding dog bites.

Over a dozen states are "one-bite" states. Their laws include an antiquated rule saying that the owners are not liable for damages if the animal has never bitten before. But even in those states, there are ways to establish liability.

That's another reason you should contact a dog bite injury lawyer. He or she would be able to help you establish liability and win your case.

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