Unless you or someone you know has been the victim of a dog bite, it’s difficult to imagine having the need to call a lawyer to represent you in court. Dog bites are common in the U.S. and oftentimes, extremely deadly. They should not be taken lightly, and if you have recently been bitten by a dog that is not your own, you should have a professional in the medical field evaluate it to determine if a rabies shot and/or stitches are needed. If possible, contacting the owner for information about the pet’s rabies vaccinations is advisable.
To date, there are approximately 89.7 million dogs in the United States within 60.2 million households, and, of course, there will always be stray dogs that weren’t counted. Between the years of 2001 and 2003, an estimated 4.5 million dog bite victims were reported each year, and the number has risen.
In 2017, statistics showed that 39 Americans died because of dog bites with 29 of those being pit bulls. Annually, approximately 350,000 dog bite victims are seen in emergency rooms with over 750,000 victims ultimately receiving medical care.
You may have heard people say things like dogs are led by their instincts and impulses, but whether they are trained or not, animal authorities agree that there are certain situations that will cause any dog to attack. Here are the top five:
1. Dogs who are treated harshly, abused or trained to attack are obviously more dangerous.
2. Any dog can be turned dangerous by an owner who trains the animal in an aggressive manner. The general disposition of a dog depends on the owner who would be held responsible. All 50 states have a leash law, which requires any canine to be held on a leash when in public.
3. The owner may be irresponsible and create a situation, such as a verbal or physical altercation with another person that puts the dog in an aggressive or defensive stance.
4. Dogs will instinctively protect their owner, so certain situations can lead them to an attack.
5. The most deceptive attack is when a pet dog is won over by the love of their owner, whatever the breed, but when it is provoked by teasing or touching, it may bite.
When the injury is serious, a professional and experienced personal injury law firm, such as Tobler Law, should be contacted immediately. It takes a skilled personal injury attorney to successfully win 100 percent of the victim’s losses.
