Dogs are the most popular pet in America and often make excellent companions, workers, and home protectors. However, it is important to remember that dogs are animals that require discipline and control. Far too many owners forget this fact and allow their animals to run loose or attack other people. The injuries that can result from dog attacks can be serious and affect your physical health, emotional wellbeing, and ability to earn a living.
In many situations, a dog’s owner or their insurance company may be responsible for covering these losses. An Oakwood dog bite lawyer may be able to help you to collect these necessary payments. A dedicated attorney could work to explain the state’s dog bite laws, select a legal theory that supports the fact of your case, and fight for appropriate compensation in or out of court.
Oakwood is in a state that uses a one-bite rule. As a general concept, this means that an owner is not automatically liable for a dog attack. The burden lies on the victim of a bite to show that the animal had a previous history of violence, and that the owner knew or should have known about this history.
Under the Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 51-2-7, injured people can demand compensation from a dog’s owner as long as they can demonstrate evidence of the dog’s vicious background. Accordingly, a dog bite attorney in the area might be able to help by uncovering this evidence and leveraging it into a comprehensive demand for compensation.
Even if it is not possible to prove a dog’s vicious propensity, this does not mean that a case will not succeed. Injured people may also allege that a dog attack occurred because of an owner’s negligence. Here, proof that an attack took place because of a failure to leash an animal or lock a gate may prove that an owner was negligent. A local dog bite lawyer could help to pursue cases that center around this legal concept.
Dog bites can result in serious injuries that impact all parts of a victim’s life. A victim may require extensive and expensive medical care, and the event may leave them with emotional traumas that reduce their quality of life. Bite injuries may even limit a person’s ability to return to work. A demand for compensation should cover each of these areas.
It is just as important to hold all responsible parties liable for the incident. This always includes the dog’s owner. In addition, if the owner lives in their own home, it may be possible to file a claim against a homeowner’s insurance policy.
Additionally, certain apartment complex owners may share liability if the incident occurred on their property. Complexes that allow for their tenants to have dogs assume a portion of liability if a pet is involved in an attack under premises liability laws. An Oakwood dog bite attorney could take the lead in demanding that all responsible parties pay their fair shares.
Dog bites and other incidents can cause severe injuries that change every part of your life. If the dog’s owner was negligent, you deserve the compensation that you need to set things right. However, state laws can make these claims difficult since the fact that a bite occurred is not necessarily enough to prove that the owner was to blame.
An Oakwood dog bite lawyer may be able to help you to prove that an owner and other parties were to blame for the incident. This could include investigating the dog’s history or showing that an owner was negligent in allowing an animal to come into contact with you. Let the attorneys at Smith Hulsey work towards protecting your legal rights and give us a call today.
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