Our Madison WI Dog Bite Attorneys are ready to help
An attack by a dog can be a shocking experience, especially if the victim is a child. Victims of dog bites can suffer from serious personal injuries, which can result in permanent scarring, nerve damage and infections. Often, the psychological harm surpasses the physical injuries – trauma and fear can leave a lasting impact on the emotional well-being of dog bite victims and may require attention of professional psychologists.
Our dog bite attorneys at Eisenberg Law Offices, located in Madison, Wisconsin, advise you not to underestimate the dog attacks – get professional medical attention and enlist the help of skilled dog bite attorneys for protecting your rights and receiving the compensation for your losses.
Overview Of Dog Bite Injuries
Statistics. If you have been bit by a feral or domestic dog, you have a case of dog attack. According to statistics, every day about 1,000 people in the United States turn for help to emergency rooms because of dog bite injuries. Interestingly, 77% of all dog bites come from the pet of family or friends and half of all the dog attacks happen on the owner’s property. The yearly numbers of dog attacks is as high as 4.7 million, which totals 2% of the US population. The actual number of dog attacks, however, is estimated to be even greater, as for one reported dog attack, three go unreported. Children are victims of more than half of all dog attacks.
Injuries. Being predators by nature, dogs nearly always attack with their teeth, which in case of big dogs can exert up to 450 pounds of pressure per square inch – ten times the pressure of a human hand. Young children and infants are more likely to sustain wounds in sensitive areas of their bodies like the neck and head, leading to crush wounds, which can become a matter of life and death. Eisenberg Law Offices dog bite attorneys warn you not to dismiss even cuts or abrasions to the skin and puncture wounds, as these bring a special risk of infections and disease.
After a Dog Attack
As experienced Wisconsin dog bite injury attorneys, we advise you to be extremely careful in handling your dog bite injury case in order to protect your rights and receive the compensation you deserve. After a dog attack, we suggest the following course of action:
- Identify the dog.
- Get the name, address and insurance information of the dog owner. Ask a trusted person to note down contact information of potential witnesses.
- Photograph all your injuries and bloody clothing.
- Get medical attention.
- Call your lawyer as soon as possible, while the facts are still fresh.
- Do not sign anything, except hospital admission papers.
Your dog bite attorney will guide you in establishing the extent of injuries and make sure that they get properly reported to the insurance company. Your lawyer will also monitor your medical treatment, making sure insurance adjusters understand what exactly happened and give you the proper financial compensation.
Depending on the circumstances of your dog bite injury case, you can be entitled to receive compensation for the following:
- medical treatment (first aid, emergency room, hospital, ambulance, scar reduction) and medications
- psychological counseling, pain and suffering;
- torn clothing and broken glasses;
- loss of earnings;
- future disabilities.
Wisconsin law allows for double damages if the dog has previously harmed a person or property.
Eisenberg Law Offices personal injury attorneys have extensive experience in handling dog attacks. We know that the person who is bitten is not the only victim. Immediate family members witnessing the attack might sustain emotional distress, which would provide the basis for a “bystander claim” or negligent infliction of emotional distress. If a husband or wife suffers due to incapacity of a spouse, a “loss of consortium claim” can be filed. If the victim dies, the family can claim “wrongful death”.
Most importantly, do not delay enlisting legal help for your dog bite injury case. According to the “statute of limitations,” you can lose all your rights if you do not file your case within a certain amount of time after the injury. Call our professional personal injury attorneys today for a free consultation. We will thoroughly note all the details of your case and help you to receive the maximum compensation for your financial distress, pain and emotional suffering.