Union Dog Bite Lawyer

When a dog attacks you, it can cause immense damage: puncture wounds from the dog’s teeth, crushing damage from its jaws, and more. If a dog knocks someone to the pavement during an attack, it can cause even more serious issues. If you were attacked by a dog, you may have the right to recover compensation from the dog’s owner. A Union dog bite lawyer could help you assess the damages, determine liability, and pursue compensation. Our personal injury attorneys could help you understand your legal rights.

Legal Steps After a Dog Attack

When an individual suffers injuries in a dog attack, the physician who oversees their medical care must report the attack within 12 hours. The Department of Health will confine the dog for 10 days to make sure that it does not have any symptoms of rabies.

The injured individual should also reach out to a Union dog bite attorney as soon as possible to discuss the case. In New Jersey, injured people have up to two years after the attack to file a claim; however, starting the process as soon as possible can make it easier to collect and show evidence and hold the dog’s owner fully liable for all damages.

Liability for Dog Attacks

Under New Jersey law, a dog’s owner is strictly liable for the damages caused when a dog bites. That includes a dog that attacks while out in public, as well as a dog that attacks someone who has the right to be on private property when they are on that property. The law includes cases in which the dog’s owner took reasonable precautions to protect against dog attack, but the dog was able to bite anyway.

The law does not protect an individual who provoked the dog or who was trespassing on private property. However, it does provide protection to anyone who had a legal right to enter the property.

Filing a Claim After a Dog Attack

After a dog attack, injured individuals may have the right to pursue compensation from the dog’s owner. Sometimes, the individual’s homeowner’s policy will cover the damages associated with a dog attack, but other policies may not offer that coverage. Working with a dog bite lawyer in Union could help the injured person assess the extent of the damages they suffered and file a claim for:

• Medical costs due to the dog attack
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering

Dog attacks can cause serious injuries that may linger for some time, keeping the injured person out of work. In addition, dog attacks often feel highly traumatic, which means the injured person may have to deal with ongoing challenges like phobias or anxiety that can make it difficult for them to be around other animals. A lawyer could help the injured person include all those elements as part of a claim.

Contact a Union Dog Bite Attorney Today

If you suffered injuries in a dog attack, you may need to pursue compensation. Dog attacks can cause devastating injuries, and New Jersey does hold dog owners liable for those damages. A Union dog bite lawyer could help you take a closer look at your damages, any insurance policies that cover the dog and its owner, and how you can seek compensation for the losses caused by the dog owner’s negligence. Contact Garces, Grabler, & LeBrocq today for a free consultation.