New Jersey Dog Bite Injury Lawyers
At
their best, dogs are friendly animals that make great family pets. But thousands
of people each year are reminded that no matter how human dogs may seem,
they're still animals, with an instinct to protect themselves, their territory
and their "pack." Among large dogs with the strength and breeding to make
them dangerous to humans, that instinct can be deadly. A few irresponsible
dog owners even take advantage of this instinct to train their dogs to attack,
but don't train or control the dogs well enough. As a result, 386,000 Americans
visit a hospital emergency room to treat a dog bite each year, according
to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Six thousand more are
hospitalized annually, and about 17 die each year, at a cost of more than
$164 million a year. The vast majority of victims of dog-attack deaths are
senior citizens and children under 14 -- including sleeping infants.
Dogs attack by clamping onto victims' flesh with powerful jaws and sharp teeth, ripping and tearing flesh and breaking the bones beneath. According to a 2001 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most dog bite injuries are scrapes and cuts. These injuries may sound mild, but they can be quite serious in the youngest victims, whose height makes their vulnerable heads and necks easy for dogs to reach. In fact, the CDC's study found that 64.9% of victims under four years old sustained head and neck injuries, which can include crushed skulls, eye injuries, facial nerve damage and lifelong scarring. Adults are most likely to be bitten in the arms or legs, but can still suffer broken bones, amputations, significant blood loss, scarring, nerve damage and even amputation. All ages are vulnerable to secondary infections from the dogs' teeth, which act as primitive syringes that drive disease deep into the flesh of victims. And while they may not be as apparent as a broken bone, victims may also have emotional injuries, such as crippling phobias of dogs, the outdoors or other situations related to the attack.
In New Jersey, owners are liable for their dogs' attacks on humans, regardless of whether the owners knew in advance that the dogs would attack. The dog does not get one bite for "free," and victims do not have to show that the owner was negligent. The owner can only escape liability if the victim was trespassing on the owner's property with criminal intent, if the victim did something to cause the attack (such as provoking the dog) or if the dog was under someone else's control at the time of the attack. Even then, owners may be partially liable. A good New Jersey dog bite injury lawyer can help evaluate your case and prove it to a jury. In a dog bite injury lawsuit, you may be able to win compensation for all of your injuries, including past and future medical bills, the costs of missing work days, ongoing therapy, permanent disability and wrongful death.
If you or someone you love has sustained serious injuries from a dog attack, you should call the Princeton dog attack attorneys at Lependorf & Silverstein. We have won millions for injured clients, including $167,100 for a four-year-old who was attacked by a friend's family dog. But you should move fast to identify the dog, its owner and any witnesses and document the full extent of your injuries. The experienced dog bite injury attorneys at Lependorf & Silverstein can help. For a free evaluation of your case, call us today.
