When you’re hurt by a dog, you may be shocked and suffering. Dogs may be common pets, but that doesn’t mean all dogs are friendly. You may have been bitten suddenly, with little or no warning by an aggressive dog.
When this happens, don’t accept the costs of your injuries. Talk to a lawyer at Brown Chiari LLP about your options. Your Rochester dog bite lawyer can help you recover from your injuries and get the compensation you’re due for your suffering.
Dog Bite Injuries Can Be Serious
Any type of dog, from a Chihuahua to a Rottweiler, can attack you and leave you suffering from severe injuries. Because those injuries can be so devastating, you may need a Rochester dog attack lawyer on your side to get the full compensation you’re due.
When a dog attacks, they often bite extremities like hands, which have many delicate bones and nerves. That leads to fractures, nerve damage, and even finger loss in severe attacks. That may be an injury that haunts you for the rest of your life.
Dog teeth also leave deep punctures, which can become infected, further lengthening the time it takes to recover from the injuries and trauma you experienced. Worse, the dog may have had rabies, which is a deadly condition if you don’t seek treatment right away.
Who’s Liable for a Rochester Dog Attack?
Dog attacks may be serious, but who’s responsible when it happens? While the dog actually hurt you, you can’t expect them to pay for the damages you suffered, of course.
You’ll instead need to take action against the person responsible for the dog. Often, this is the dog owner. However, in certain cases, other parties may be liable. For example, if a property owner is briefly responsible for the dog, they’re liable if the dog hurts another person. Children who own dogs can’t represent themselves in court, and so liability falls on their parents.
One major exception is that for stray dogs. Typically, no one is responsible for stray dogs with no owners. However, you may have a case if animal control was called several times, and they failed to act before someone was hurt. Talk to your lawyer about the specific details of your dog bite if you’re hurt and unsure where to start.
Damages You May Recover After a Dog Bite
After a Rochester dog bite, you need funds to recover from your injuries. But these damages aren’t always easy to uncover, and they are more difficult to calculate.
These damages should cover both your economic and non-economic damages, but what does that mean for your claim? Here’s what you need to know about the damages you’re due.
Economic Damages
When you’re hurt by a Rochester dog attack, one of your first concerns is paying for your physical recovery. That often means getting coverage for your financial costs, or your economic damages. Your lawyer can help you calculate these damages, avoiding feeling overwhelmed or failing to include the damages you’re due.
After a serious injury, you may be struggling to overcome the intangible suffering you’ve experienced. You know you need your medical bills covered, but what about the fear you feel around dogs because of the attack? These damages can be complex, but your non-economic damages should be compensated as well.
Unsure what counts as non-economic damages? Here are some examples:
Anxiety
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Loss of enjoyment of life
Damages like these are complex because they’re intangible. That means you may not have the tools to determine what your claim is worth because they don’t have a clear dollar value. When this happens, you may need to turn to a dog bite lawyer in Rochester who has the tools you need.
Call a Rochester Dog Bite Attorney
After a dog bite, many Rochester residents are unsure where to turn. Your injuries may be dire, and you may be unsure whether you’re able to sue. When you’re unsure where to turn, the lawyers at Brown Chiari LLP have your back.
Your Rochester dog bite lawyer is here to help you get the aid you need when you’re hurt in a dog attack. Start with a free consultation, and your lawyer can help you understand what your claim is worth and what your options are for recovery. When you’re ready, reach out by calling 716-681-7190 or by completing the online contact form below.