Dog Bite Attorneys – Animal Attack Law

Dog owners, if asked, will usually say that they couldn’t see their dog biting someone. However, a third of liability claims resulting from dog bites have taken a chunk out of companies providing homeowner’s insurance. Most of these dogs were owned by someone. Most of the time it was someone who was irresponsible towards their dogs, who failed to provide training, socialization, and/or control. Many of these people are now paying higher insurance premiums and sometimes the inability to find an insurance provider that will cover them, their dog, or subsequent dogs they own.

When Mike* was only ten years old he was attacked by two pit bulls. These dogs were owned by some neighbors and they were dogs that Mike was very familiar with and spent a lot of time with. That is to say, that the dogs had always been friendly to Mike and he had always been friendly to them.

One day these dogs went into the home of another neighbor who had left her door open, and they attacked her. After this, the dogs were out on the street, and some police officers were trying to round up the dogs before they injured anybody else. Recognizing the dogs, Mike decided to help the police. Of course, Mike didn’t know that the dogs had already attacked someone that day.

As soon as Mike stepped into his front yard and called to the dogs, they attacked him. Obviously, the dogs saw Mike’s action as aggressive, although he had made no overtly aggressive moves toward the dogs. Within a second the dogs were biting Mike. Once he was on the ground, the dogs attacked Mike on the neck and face. As one neighbor described it, “You know their nature shows where the hyena goes after the antelope? Well, the boy was the antelope, and those dogs were the hyenas.” The police were unable to restrain the dogs and had to shoot one of them in order to get him to stop attacking Mike. Of course, that dog died. The police were able to restrain the other dog, and Mike was rushed to a hospital.

Although he had some serious injuries, Mike was able to recover quickly. He did have to have some minor reconstructive surgery, but his scars were almost non-existent.

However, Mike and his family were very traumatized by the ordeal. Mike’s mother, who had been working as a dog groomer, was no longer able to keep up that type of work and had to find another type of job. Mike was plagued with nightmares and a fear of dogs for months.

Fortunately, Mike and his family were able to find an excellent lawyer who assisted them in their case against the dogs’ owners. The family sued not only for medical bills but also for the trauma that was caused by the attacks. Mike was able to access the money once he turned 18, perfect timing for him to pay tuition bills for his university. His friends dubbed it a “Pit Bull Scholarship.” In addition to paying for his education, Mike used the money to pay for other things to start his adult life on the right foot.

More than twenty years later, Mike has made a full recovery; he’s no longer afraid of dogs and even owns two dogs himself. However, he chose breeds that were particularly good with children, and he is certain to make sure they are never out of the yard unrestrained. Of all people, Mike knows well that as the owner, he is responsible for any damage his dogs might do to another human being.

This isn’t to say that all pit bulls are child-eaters. However, attacks from pit bulls and other strong dogs often result in serious injuries and can be far too common. When dog bites happen, it is worth contacting a personal injury attorney to assist in seeking claims and damages that have been incurred from a dangerous dog.