Long Island Dog Bite Lawyer

Dogs bring happiness to millions of people, but they can also be dangerous animals. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to a dog bite that was caused by the dog owner’s negligence, you are entitled to compensation.

Many dogs are capable of inflicting very serious injuries on humans. People who suffer dog bites frequently find themselves dealing with many difficult issues –medical bills, physical and emotional pain and suffering, maybe even lost income.

Now is the time to talk to experienced injury and accident attorneys about how to get the compensation you deserve. Long Island dog bite lawyers have helped many people get their lives back on track after suffering this kind of injury, and they can do the same for you.

Holding Dog Owners Accountable

The common law once had a simple rule: Every dog is entitled to their first bite. In other words, if the owner had no prior knowledge that the dog had a propensity to bite humans, then they were off the hook with respect to damages.

Today, the law is more complex. Several states, including New York, have incorporated the one bite rule into their dog bite law in a significant way, despite having statutes that impose liability for dog bites. These states are referred to as mixed dog bite statute states.

In New York, the dog bite statute provides that a dog owner is responsible only for paying the victim’s medical bills; to collect the full range of damages, such as for loss of income if the victim is permanently disabled, the plaintiff must prove that the dog previously behaved viciously toward a human being.

Leash Laws

Negligence is the failure to exercise the degree of care that a reasonable person would have shown under the circumstances. Would the typical person have foreseen that their activity created a significant risk of harm?

It is often easier to prove the dog owner’s negligence if the victim can prove that the owner was violating an applicable leash law.

A leash law typically requires that a dog is on a leash when not on its owner’s property. Usually, the length of the leash is specified, and there must be a person at the other end of the leash – someone who is old enough and strong enough to control the dog.

Possible Dog Bite Defenses

Arguments dog owners might offer to show they should not be held liable are worth knowing whether someone has been the victim of a dog bite, or if they are a dog owner facing this kind of lawsuit. Some defenses Long Island dog bite attorneys see include:

• The victim provoked the dog by physically abusing it
• The victim was trespassing on the dog owner’s premises
• The victim was a veterinarian who was treating the dog at the time of the incident
• The victim was committing a crime against the owner of the dog
• The victim assumed the risk of being bitten in some way

Gathering Evidence

Evidence in a Long Island dog bite claim is crucial – medical examinations, photographs of the scene where the attack took place, eyewitness testimony. Experienced dog bite attorneys in Long Island knows how to gather such evidence and present it so that you can make your strongest possible case for damages But the longer you wait, the harder it may be to gather the critical evidence. That is why, if you or a loved one has suffered a dog bite injury, you should get professional legal advice today.