Attorneys for Dog Bites
Dog Bite Lawsuit? We Can Help.
More than 380 Virginians filed claims in 2017 for dog bites. The average cost per claim was $36,167.21, for a collective total of $13.92 million in a single year1. Virginia ranks 17th in the country for such claims. Clearly, dog bites are serious, both medically and financially.
Dog Bites Leave Permanent Scars
For a parent, few threats to a child are as serious and traumatic as an unpredictable, uncontrolled dog. For most adults, few animals instill terror in everyday situations the way barking dogs can. For children, the unwell, or the elderly, a dog attack can produce deep, permanent scars, both physically and emotionally.
True, most of America’s 90 million dogs are quiet, gentle, even adorable family pets. Still, many of these canines are deliberately trained, mistreated or neglected in hopes of transforming a docile dog into a biting, snarling, vicious weapon. Many seemingly friendly pups have even been known to bite.
Whether bitten, attacked, or threatened by a violent dog, no Virginia parent, child or adult should be subjected to that terror.
The Medical Concerns of Dog Bites
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirm something we as Virginia attorneys for dog bites have always known: dog bites are a constant, ever-present menace. The CDC says “Between 2001 and 2003, an estimated 4,521,300 persons were bitten each year.”
Nearly 20 percent of those bites required medical attention, which drives up out-of-pocket costs for victims. Medical consequences of dog bites vary widely:
- Rabies
- Capnocytophaga bacteria
- Pasteurella, a type of bacteria seen in over half of infected dog bite wounds, causing a painful, red infection at the site of the bite
- MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a kind of staph infection resistant to antibiotics
- Tetanus, a toxin produced by a type of bacteria called Clostridium tetani
Without prompt and sometimes costly medical attention, dog bites can lead to more serious issues. A bite can limit movement, lead to infection, cause constant pain and discomfort, and affect other parts of the body.
Dog Bite Claims & Financial Worries
Working adults who suffer from dog attacks or dog bites may have to take time off work to seek medical treatment, receive physical or occupational therapy, or rest. Add to the loss of income the mounting medical expenses, and a seemingly trivial dog bite becomes a financial catastrophe.
Have You Been Attacked by a Dog?
While dogs may be humans’ best friends, the owner’s insurance company is not your friend. The dog’s owner is unlikely to be very friendly about resolving a serious case, worried the dog may have to be put down. The medical professionals may be attentive and caring, but they are also not champions of your cause.
Only highly trained, professional dog bite lawyers well-versed in Virginia’s dog bite laws and regulations are your friends. When you are injured in a dog attack, you need prompt medical help. Yet you also need prompt legal help, to ensure your rights are protected.
For most of their lives, most Virginia dogs live in quiet solitude, cared for by loving families. Yet when a dog turns dangerous, Virginia dog bite law steps in. Under Code of Virginia § 3.2-6540, a dog can be legally declared dangerous and the owner is legally responsible.
Call The Firm For Men’s Dog Bite Attorneys
If you have been bitten or attacked by a dog, you may not know your rights, but the hard-working dog bite lawyers at The Firm For Men do. We will advocate for you, the dog-bite victim.
If you or a loved one has been bitten or attacked by a dog, please contact The Firm For Men online, or reach out to us at (757) 383-9204. We take your concerns seriously, we seek justice and restitution, and we know the law. Let us help defend your right to a peaceful life.
1. https://www.iii.org/article/spotlight-on-dog-bite-liability