While dogs are generally loving creatures, a vicious dog can be traumatizing to encounter. They can result in serious injuries that require medical attention, rehabilitation, and continued treatment.
The cost of recovery from any accident can be overwhelming to assess, but the cost of denying treatment after a personal injury accident can be a life-changing sacrifice. A dog bite lawyer in Acworth can help you file a personal injury claim that aims to recover damages such as bills, lost wages, and other case-specific expenses.
Ali Awad, the founding and managing attorney of The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, has spent the last few years building a reputable Acworth firm that the local community can count on. In just three short years, The CEO Lawyer has expanded what was once a small firm into a national brand.
Our team has worked on hundreds of cases and is standing by to help you through the process of your dog bite claim.
An initial consultation with the CEO Lawyer team comes at no cost and leaves you with an obligation to continue with our services. In the first meeting, our goals are to help you better understand the process of a dog bite claim, map out a general course of action, and offer you the chance to ask any pressing questions.
To schedule your appointment, call (470) 828-4288 or contact us online today.
What Can an Acworth Dog Bite Attorney Do for My Claim?
In the blink of an eye, a man’s best friend can unexpectedly turn into a foe and end up injuring a person or other animal. While canines can be cuddly companions, an attack from a vicious, untrained dog can be an impactful event.
Moreover, dog bites can be extremely serious injuries, and the pet owner can be held liable for damages incurred by the victim when they fail to control their animal. These attacks can create serious injuries for the victim that leave lasting physical and financial damage.
Dog attacks disproportionately affect minors, with more than 50% of attacks targeting young children. An Acworth dog bite attorney like The CEO Lawyer can help you build an inclusive dog bite claim that exhausts all avenues for damage recovery.
Sadly, most dog attacks are preventable, and a neglectful owner can put the whole community at risk. Instead of trying to juggle your family’s physical and financial recovery, let an attorney help.
The CEO Lawyer has helped countless members of the Acworth community through legal services, including:
- Organizing all collected documentation: After a dog bite accident, you’ll be met with miscellaneous paperwork, including hospital assessments and insurance information. The CEO Lawyer can help you sort through your collected documentation and will utilize the data for future steps of the claim investigation and negotiation.
- Managing communication with all outside parties: Throughout the course of a dog bite claim, you’ll need to offer statements and review important information with outside parties like insurance adjusters. An attorney can take this burden off your shoulders by speaking on your behalf with all outside parties. Your lawyer will then relay important information back to you in a separate meeting.
- Offering support to help you understand the laws, regulations, and typical procedures that may apply to your case: Every state has a different approach to personal injury claims and, even more specifically, canine attacks. Understanding your state’s specific statutes can be a time-consuming task, and misunderstandings could hurt the chances of your claim’s success. An attorney has vast knowledge of the state laws and can efficiently compare the details of your case to the state’s regulations when preparing a dog bite claim.
- Investigating your accident, including a thorough evaluation of claims of negligence: Letting an attorney investigate the fine details of your accident can give you the time to focus on healing. An attorney will dive deep into the specifics of your case and extract key information that can be valuable when negotiating a settlement.
- Negotiating on your behalf: One of the most difficult parts of the claim process is negotiating the final settlement because it can be tricky to present a figure that is both reasonable to the insurer and the victim. Your lawyer will utilize the collected evidence to put together a valid settlement number and then advocate for its value during negotiations.
Understanding Georgia’s Dog Bite Statutes
The state of Georgia follows what is considered a “modified one bite rule,” which makes the owner accountable for their dog’s actions at first bite if the dog is known to be vicious or otherwise dangerous.
However, this statute extends to dogs that have been neglected to be trained and hurt a person or other animal while in a public space, even without knowledge of prior aggression. The dog is considered dangerous when it is uncontrolled, allowed to roam free, or simply left unsupervised.
Georgia also enacted the “Responsible Dog Ownership Law” in 2012, which aimed at protecting both the public and dog owners simultaneously. The law, codified through OCGA 4-8-1 through 4-8-33, sets guidelines for responsible dog ownership and sets standards for the control and regulation of canines.
There are some exceptions that will exempt a dog from facing penalty after an attack, including:
- Being a working dog (police, military, etc)
- Protecting private property from unauthorized intruders
Recoverable Damages From a Dog Bite Attack
When seeking recovery for incurred expenses after an accident, the damages are separated into two categories: economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages refer to monetary losses that have a standard price point to refer to when replacing the value. This includes expenses such as bills and lost wages.
Non-economic damages refer to non-objectifiable losses that are intangible in nature, which generally makes recovery more difficult to secure. Examples of non-economic damages include pain and suffering and mental anguish.
The most commonly recovered damages in a dog bite claim include:
- Medical bills and the cost of continued treatment
- Physical rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Limited ability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Compensation for disfigurement or permanent scarring
Common Injuries Sustained After a Dog Bite
Dog bites are not uncommon in the U.S., with an average of over 4 million cases reported annually. From these cases, almost 1 million injuries required medical attention.
These incidents are not specific to strays or rabid canines either, as 3 out of 5 reported cases are perpetuated by the family or neighborhood dog.
A dog can attack for what seems like no reason, often because many animals have fear or anxiety responses from low socialization. It is the owner’s job to teach their dog the skills they need to interact with humans and other animals — or at least have the animal restrained or otherwise under their control if it is known to be dangerous.
When they fail in their duty of care to the public and to their pet in this way, tragic accidents can happen.
When tending to dog bite accidents, some of the most frequently treated injuries include:
- Puncture wounds: A dog’s teeth and jaw are incredibly powerful and can deeply puncture flesh. A puncture wound is serious, as canines are primary carriers of viral diseases like rabies and can also transmit bacteria called capnocytophaga, which can cause severe infections, including sepsis.
- Hand injuries: A common injury location for dog bite accidents is the hands, as dogs can feel threatened when a human reaches out to them or goes to grab something in their general vicinity.
- Face injuries: Another common location on the body where medical professionals treat dog attack wounds is the face, as putting your face too close to a dog can be seen as an intimidating gesture, prompting violence.
- Avulsions: This is considered a deep tear in the flesh, most likely caused by a dog bite, but can also possibly be caused by rough scratching. This is considered the most severe type of dog bite wound.
- Nerve damage: This is an effect of deep lacerations, avulsions, and bites. When the nerves are compromised, it can lead to numbness or tingling that is periodic or long-lasting.
- Rabies, tetanus, and other diseases: Rabies is virtually 100% fatal once the victim is showing clinical symptoms. Canines are a primary carrier of rabies, a disease known to cause sudden bouts of aggression, such as dog bite attacks.
Canine Attacks Are Serious: Call an Acworth Dog Bite Law Firm For Help Today
A canine attack can be unexpected, leaving the victim with a new collection of debts, expenses, and even life-long injuries to continue treatment with.
Simply put, a dog bite attack can be life-changing, but it shouldn’t destroy your finances. When a dog owner fails to properly secure or at least warn the public about their vicious or otherwise untrained dog, they become responsible for any injuries that develop due to their negligence.
A skilled dog bite attorney can help you put together a comprehensive personal injury claim that advocates for all losses incurred.
The CEO Lawyer has built up an average success rate of over 99% by serving communities like Acworth with dedication and passion, and our team is standing by to help you get started on your financial recovery journey, too. To schedule your cost-free, no-obligation consultation, call (470) 828-4288 or contact us online today.
