As far as states go, Georgia is one dog-friendly state, with more than a third of residents owning at least one dog. But as much as we love them, not every dog in a dog-friendly state is friendly in and of itself.
There are no global estimates of dog bite prevalence, but according to the World Health Organization, approximately 4.5 million people in the US are bitten each year. This makes dog bites the second most common animal injury after snake bites.
And dog bites are not just painful, but they can have extremely serious consequences for victims, too.
If you’ve been bitten by a dog anywhere in Fulton County and need compensation, turn to the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm. Our professional dog bite lawyers will fight for your injury claim and get you the resources you need to heal.
Seek Compensation With a Fulton County Dog Bite Attorney
Dog bite attorneys are, in essence, personal injury attorneys with a proven history of resolving claims and cases for dog bite victims. This means they are versed in insurance law, negligence law, and animal law.
Sometimes, these lawyers will also have a grasp of product liability law, just in case, for instance, a dog getting loose was the result of a defective collar, dog leash, or gate.
Risks of Dog Bite Injuries
Dog bites have a number of dangerous risks associated with them. Getting away from a dog attack completely unscathed can happen, but even in the most minor of incidents, the odds of a dog dealing some form of damage to the victim are there.
- Physical Trauma: The most evident risk of a dog bite is the damage it deals to body tissues. The average dog can deal up to 250 psi of force per bite, and the strongest can deal upwards of 700 psi, easily tearing apart muscle and crushing bone.
- Nerve Damage: A dog’s teeth can damage more than just flesh and bone. Depending on the bite, a dog can sever nerves, leading to long-term – sometimes even permanent – effects such as numbness and paralysis.
- Disfigurement or Dismemberment: Some dog bites are so severe that they leave disfigure the victim with scar tissue. In the worst of dog bites, the damage is so bad that medical practitioners will opt to amputate the injured body part rather than risk death.
- Infection: Dogs can transmit bacteria and viruses through their saliva if they are not vaccinated against disease. Pasteurellosis is a common infection that can result in sepsis when untreated, but perhaps the most feared infection is the near-100% fatal rabies virus.
Note that as serious as each of these items is, these risks do not even account for the potential psychological and financial effects of a dog attack. All of these have to be considered when looking for compensation for your losses.
How Do You Deal With a Dog Bite?
Most dogs will only hurt a human out of fear or agitation. There are also some dogs that will play bite but have poor control of their strength and will cause harm regardless.
Dogs rarely bite without reason. But in any case, when they do, your priority should be your own health, followed by that of others around you, and then the dog only afterward.
The exact order of what you do will depend on your case. For example, while it is generally a bad idea to run from a dog, if you are within a few feet of a car or door you can escape into, it is a better idea to run than fight the dog.
Still, here are some general guidelines for dealing with a dog bite.
Remove Yourself From Danger
The first and most important thing to do when you are bitten by a dog is to secure your safety. This means getting away from the animal as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, running away from a dog is not often an option, as dogs can usually outrun people on foot. Couple this with their instinct to chase running prey, and this means you will either have to fight back against smaller dogs or submit to larger ones.
Use your weight advantage against smaller dogs, and try to gain the upper position. If they are a stronger breed, however, focus on defense by curling up and protecting your face, neck, and chest.
Use a weapon if you can, and do not be afraid of hurting the dog if it persists with the attack. If the dog is attacking because it sees you as a threat, there is a good chance it is making a serious and intentional attempt on your life.
When you have the opportunity to back away, do slow with slow, steady movements to avoid aggravating the dog further.
Seek Medical Attention
Tend to whatever injuries you can as soon as you are able. Wash bite wounds with soap and water to reduce the chance of infection, and perform necessary first aid to stop any bleeding.
For more serious injuries, you will have to visit a doctor.
When you arrive at a medical center, get a rabies shot as soon as possible. Thankfully, despite the near guarantee that untreated rabies is fatal, the virus has a long incubation period, and you can take the vaccine after exposure in order to save your life.
Contact the Authorities
You will have to contact both the police and Fulton County Animal Services after the dog bite. The police will run their own investigation and come up with a report of the incident, while FCAS will determine how to deal with the dog.
If the dog bite is minor, animal services will usually have the owner home quarantine the animal, at least until any possibility of infection has been ruled out. If the bite is serious, FCAS will likely take the dog back to a facility for quarantine.
If the dog has a history of biting people and is considered a danger to the public, FCAS will likely schedule the animal for euthanization.
Exchange Information With the Owner
If the dog that bit you has an owner, you will want to exchange information with them as a first step in getting compensation. If they are liable for the dog bite you suffered, their homeowner insurance policy will cover your damages.
Take note of their name, their address, contact number, and their insurance information. Also, remember that Georgia law will only hold the owner of a dog liable if the dog is off-leash, out of control, or is considered a dangerous animal.
Contact a Dog Bite Lawyer
Filing a claim or a lawsuit against a dog owner usually requires that a victim prove the dog was required to be leashed or at the heel as per local ordinance. Of course, dog owners may refute that they are liable in order to avoid paying.
In this case, you can work with a dog bite lawyer to build a case proving your side of the story – that the dog owner is liable and owes you for your injuries. Your lawyer will mount their own investigation into the matter to prove to the insurance provider that the owner was at fault.
Sometimes, however, the dog owner cannot be located, or flat-out refuses to cooperate with you. Other times, the dog is a stray with no owner to locate at all. When these situations occur, you might think you have no option but to pay for your medical bills and recovery expenses out of your own pocket.
But this is never the case when you have the option of working with a Fulton County dog bite lawyer. Your lawyer can advise you of alternative means of compensation beyond the typical homeowner’s insurance claim.
In the case of strays, for example, you may still be able to pursue a claim against the city you are in if the bite occurred on public property. Your Fulton County injury attorney may be able to argue that the local government failed to maintain safety.
If, on the other hand, a dog owner refuses to provide insurance information, you may have the option to sue them directly. In either case, your attorney will inform you of the appropriate course of action to get you the recompense you need.
Contact The CEO Lawyer: The Choice Fulton County Dog Bite Law Firm
If you need justice in the aftermath of a dog attack, contact the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm.
Lead Attorney Ali Awad has spent the last seven years building The CEO Lawyer into one of the fastest-growing law firms in the country. In his free time, he builds bridges with the community, using his social media platforms to educate people with free legal advice.
Call the CEO Lawyer today at (470) 323-8779 for a free consultation on your dog bite case. We serve in both English and Spanish, and we do not charge you a cent until after we’ve won your case for you.
