Do I Have A Dog Bite Injury Case?

DOG BITES: GRRRR, CHOMP – OUCH!     CALL THE GA LAWFIRM FOR HELP

It’s been said that every dog “gets one free bite” before their owner can be sued.  There’s some truth to that idea – but there are a lot of other factors that go into determining whether you have a legal case.  These cases are scary, emotional, painful and costly.  So where do you start?  Call us and we’ll tell you.

WHO DID THAT?  First, if you, a family member or friend gets attacked by a dog – and has serious physical injuries- then start with identifying the culprit.  Which dog bit you?  Sometimes proving which dog bit you is harder than you think – especially if it was a dog roaming around and not visibly connected to a house, apartment or owner.  So take pictures of where it happened and look around for the dog.  If you have clothing or something else with the dog’s dried saliva on it, save that as well.  We handled a case involving DNA analysis on saliva that proved a dog was the culprit.

WHAT ABOUT MY INJURIES?  We handle cases for clients that get bitten bad.  They’ve lost chunks of flesh, required stitches and suffer scarring.  Those injuries need emergency room attention and usually follow up for infection prevention, then stitches removal.  We’ve represented children, teenagers and adults for these serious cases and can help guide you through the process as well.

DOES THE DOG BREED MATTER?  Absolutely.  While not all pit bulls are the same, and some German Shepherds are soft and cuddly, studies and even Indiana court cases identify that some dog breeds are more prone to violence than others.  After examining the breed, we also need to collect information about the dog’s specific personality.  Does it show its teeth while barking aggressively; bristle its back hair and jump against the fence when people walk by?  Do neighbors know the dog is trouble?  Has it attacked another dog, pet or person before it got to you?  We’ll help you investigate these factors because part of your case depends on whether the dog already had “its free bite” before attacking you.

WHAT WILL GOODIN ABERNATHY, LLP DO FOR ME?

First, we’ll try to settle your case by contacting the owner and their insurance company.  Since a lot of dog bite cases involve neighbors or even other family members, we are sensitive to the idea of trying to maintain friendly relationships.  If that approach doesn’t work, then our experience will take you through litigating a case and all the way to trial.

Our consultation is free and we don’t pressure you into signing a contract.  Contact us early because collecting and preserving evidence for these dog bite cases is really important.  Let Goodin Abernathy LLP help you recover from a dog attack.