Everyone loves coming home to a greeting from a dog with a wagging tail after a tough day at the office. Pets can lift your spirits and make you smile. However, not all encounters between people and dogs go smoothly. Sadly, dogs often attack people, causing extensive injuries.
When you or your family member bears the scars of a dog attack, you might face a long and difficult road to recovery. A Stockton dog bite lawyer can help you obtain financial compensation for your losses in a personal injury lawsuit. Get in touch with our skilled personal injury representatives to learn more about getting started on your claim.
Common Injuries Sustained by Dog Bite Survivors
When dogs attack people, they tend to inflict serious damage. Larger dogs who jump onto a person can knock them over, causing them to sustain head injuries, broken bones, and neck and back injuries. Dog bites can tear a person’s skin and damage their underlying nerves, tissue, and muscles. Unlike dog bites that require rest and pain medication, many attacks frequently require extensive medical intervention, including stitches, surgeries, and painful skin grafts. If not properly treated, some dog bites can become infected, leading to more significant medical problems. Unfortunately, when the trauma is severe enough, dog bites can leave behind disfiguring scars that are permanent reminders of the attack.
Children often unknowingly provoke dogs by pulling on their fur or tails or putting their faces right up to the dog’s face. Therefore, children sometimes fare worse than adults in dog attacks, frequently sustaining facial injuries. Emotional trauma is also common after canine attacks, particularly among children. Many dog bite survivors face a debilitating fear of animals, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder, nightmares, depression, and severe anxiety that requires years of therapy. In many cases, those living with disfiguring scars become self-conscious and withdrawn.
Those who cannot return to work after a dog bite injury might also have difficulty paying their medical bills and other expenses. A dedicated attorney can help an injury survivor fight to recover compensation for everything they have lost, including lost wages and future lost earnings. In the worst cases, some people succumb to their canine attack injuries. In these situations, a compassionate attorney in Stockton can help their families seek justice by filing a wrongful death suit.
Laws Surrounding Dog Attacks in Stockton
In some states, people must prove that a dog’s owner knew about their dog’s aggressive tendencies or that the owner was negligent in controlling the canine. However, in California, the court operates with a strict liability standard, meaning a dog attack survivor could prevail even without proof of negligence or vicious propensity. As long as the victim was lawfully on the premises where the bite occurred, the pet’s owner could be liable for the plaintiff’s losses. A seasoned Stockton lawyer can explain how the relevant legal statutes might apply to a victim’s dog bite case and fight to prove the canine owner was negligent in allowing the attack to occur.
Call a Stockton Dog Bite Attorney
After a dog attack, you might be facing unpaid bills, painful medical procedures, emotional trauma, and other challenges: you should not have to shoulder the burden alone.
Likewise, you should not settle for an insurance settlement that does not cover your expenses. A Stockton dog bite lawyer could help you seek fair compensation for all of your losses and injuries. Call our young, energetic team of attorneys today to get started on your case.
