Dog Bite Attorney in Queens, NY
Being bitten by a dog can result in painful injuries, infection, and psychological trauma. In addition to sustaining bite wounds, the victim of a dog attack may be knocked to the ground and suffer fall injuries. Unfortunately, children and elderly people are more susceptible to serious or fatal dog bite injuries because they are less able to fight off an attacking animal.
Dog owners in NYC have an obligation to control their pets. A negligent dog owner may be held liable for your financial losses due to a dog bite injury, as well as your physical and mental pain and suffering.
A dog bite lawyer from The Tadchiev Law Firm in Queens can help you seek the compensation you need after suffering a dog bite or mauling. New York’s dog bite law is more complex than the law in many states. Without experienced legal help, you may have difficulty pursuing all of your losses in a dog bite case.
We serve clients across New York, including Nassau County, New York City, Long Island, and Floral Park.
The lawyers at The Tadchiev Law Firm, P.C., know the applicable law pertaining to dog bite claims. We will fight for maximum compensation for you.
We offer people bitten by dogs compassion and a no-obligation case review with a dog attack lawyer in Queens. Our personal injury attorneys can review the circumstances of the dog bite and discuss your legal options. You will not be charged any fees for legal work unless our dog bites attorneys recover compensation for you. For your free legal consultation, contact us today.
How Common Are Dog Bites in New York?
The American Veterinary Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say more than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States. New York ranked among the top 10 states for reported dog bites. One in 5 victims of dog bites requires medical care for their injuries.
A City of New York database of bog bites shows more than 2,925 dog bites reported throughout the city in 2021.
Any dog can bite — big or small, male or female, young or old. It is not a dog’s breed that determines whether it will bite, but rather the dog’s individual history and behavior. Most young children are bitten by dogs while interacting with dogs that are familiar.
When a dog attacks, it typically bites, jumps on the victim and claws them, and sometimes will clamp its powerful jaws onto the victim’s flesh and bone. This can cause a variety of serious injuries, including:
- Puncture wounds and/or deep cuts
- Torn flesh, muscle, and other soft tissue
- Crushed bones from the bite of a large dog
- Injuries from being knocked down, such as a head injury or broken bones
- Infection or disease, including rabies, tetanus, or blood-borne infection
- A heart attack brought on by the trauma of being attacked.
Dog bite injuries can lead to hospitalization and potentially death. Scarring wounds may require cosmetic surgery. Elderly victims of broken bones may never heal fully, especially victims who fall and suffer broken hips. The victim of a mauling may suffer psychological scarring akin to post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and need counseling to recover.
If the dog attacks a person in New York, the owner can be compelled to compensate the victim for their losses.
Our dog bite attorneys in Queens, can investigate and help you seek compensation for dog bite injuries.
How Is Liability Determined in Dog Injury Cases?
New York’s law pertaining to civil liability for dog bites takes a two-tiered approach:
- A dog’s owner or lawful custodian is “strictly liable” for the medical expenses of a person their dog bites, regardless of whether the dog is known to have bitten anyone or exhibited aggressive behavior before.
- A dog owner is not automatically liable for a person’s other losses such as lost income, pain and suffering, or the loss of enjoyment of life caused by a dog bite or attack if it is the first such attack or exhibition of aggressive behavior.
Strictly liable means a dog owner is financially accountable, regardless of whether they tried to prevent an attack. Therefore, to recover compensation for your medical expenses after being attacked by a dog, you need only prove that a dog caused your injuries and that the defendant was responsible for the dog at the time. Typically, your testimony or that of other witnesses, the dog’s registration, and your medical bills can establish the facts required.
To establish a case for further compensation, you must establish that the dog had a history as a dangerous animal and the owner knew or should have known it. This will require evidence of:
- The dog previously having bitten someone
- Previous complaints about the dog
- The dog previously growling and/or baring its teeth at people
- The dog previously fighting with other animals
- The dog owner having used a muzzle on the dog
It could be that by speaking with neighbors, postal workers, or other deliverymen, or by checking records of police or animal control in Queens we can establish a dangerous dog’s history.
In some cases, other parties may be responsible for a dangerous dog’s attack and be liable, such as a property owner or landlord, or a dog walker or sitter. If a dangerous dog kills or injures your pet, you may be able to file a claim for veterinary bills and other losses, including the value of an animal lost.
Talk to Our Dog Bite Injury Attorney in Queens, NY
If you or a loved one has been bitten by someone else’s dog in an unprovoked attack and required medical care in Queens, you may have a right to seek compensation for your medical expenses. At The Tadchiev Law Firm, P.C., you can contact us online or at (718) 380-1200 to discuss your case today. Our experienced personal injury attorneys offer the experienced and personalized legal service that you need. We will help you understand your rights and work to pursue the compensation that you need. You can rely on The Tadchiev Law Firm, P.C., to fight for your rights.
For your free case review, contact us today by phone or online.