Gastonia Dog Bite Lawyer

Dog Bite Attorney in Gastonia, NC

Suffering a dog bite in North Carolina can be extremely traumatic, especially when a young child is bitten. Thousands of people suffer dog bite injuries every year, and some may even die as a result. If you or someone you know is bitten by a dog owned by another individual, you may be eligible to file a claim for compensation against the negligent or reckless dog owner. At Roberts Law Firm, P.A., our skilled Gastonia dog bite lawyers can provide you with legal support and guidance.

Defining Dog Bite Personal Injuries in North Carolina

In North Carolina, liability is imposed on the owner of a dangerous dog if that animal causes injuries to another individual. A dangerous dog is defined as an animal that:

• Without being provoked, has killed or caused severe injury to be suffered by another person.
• Is determined by the person or county municipal board with animal control duties to be potentially dangerous or harmful because the animal has engaged in one or more of the following aggressive behaviors:
  • Approaching an individual when not on the owner’s own property in a particularly vicious or terrorizing way in a clear attitude of attack.
  • Biting another person that results in broken bones or other disfiguring lacerations or causes injuries that require cosmetic surgery or hospitalization.
  • Killed or inflicted serious injury onto another domestic animal, be that pet or livestock, when not on the owner’s real property.

It is important to note that the North Carolina personal injury statute of limitations dictates a strict timeframe for filing these claims, making early legal intervention essential.

There are a few exceptions to these rules in which conditions would arise where the dog’s owner could be released from liability. These include dog bite scenarios where the bite victim provoked the animal to take such action or in cases where the bite victim was trespassing on the dog owner’s real property.

Dog Bite Injuries and Available Compensation

In North Carolina, dog bite victims are allowed to seek compensation for their injuries from the liable owner of the dangerous animal. In most cases, these injuries can include the following:

• Lacerations, including deep cuts or tears in the flesh, muscles, or other soft tissues, and puncture wounds.
• Broken bones from the crushing jaw of a large dog or from being hurled to the ground when the animal attacked.
• Additional injuries because of the impact of being knocked down, such as head injuries, concussions, and even severe traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries.
• Infections or other diseases that may result from the bite itself such as rabies, bacterial sepsis, or tetanus.

If you suffered any of these injuries as the result of a dog bite, you may be entitled to seek various forms of monetary compensation, including that for medical expenses, lost income during injury recovery, property damage, such as damage to eyeglasses or hearing aids; pain and suffering, such as physical pain or emotional trauma; and wrongful death damages.

Reasons to Hire a Dog Bite Lawyer

Dogs cause 26.2% of the animal-related fatalities in America. Even when vicious dog attacks don’t end in death, they can have dramatic negative consequences for the victims. If you or someone you love has been attacked by a dog, you can hire a dog bite lawyer to help you recover compensation.

Your Gastonia dog bite attorney can assist you with every aspect of your case. We can help you gather evidence, construct a narrative of the event, and prove that the dog owner understood that their animal had the propensity to be dangerous. Even if the dog was not actively labeled a dangerous animal, we may be able to help you hold the owner liable for their negligence if the animal was running off-leash off their property.

It doesn’t matter whether the dog attack happened right in your neighborhood or at a local dog park such as Bradley Station Dog Park. Hiring a dog bite attorney gives you an experienced professional on your side who can handle the details and take some of the stress off your plate so that you can focus on what’s important: healing from your injuries.

FAQs

How Much Does a Lawyer Cost for a Dog Bite?

The cost to hire a lawyer for a dog bite varies. Most lawyers charge contingency fees, meaning that they take a percentage of the final settlement amount and do not require up-front payments.

As a result, their fees vary depending on the size of the settlement, which will, in turn, depend on factors such as the severity of your injuries, whether you’ve suffered permanent disfigurement or disability, and how skilled your lawyer is at negotiating with insurance companies.

Can You File a Civil Claim for a Dog Bite in NC?

Whether you can file a civil claim for a dog bite in NC successfully depends primarily on whether you had any liability for the attack and if the owner knew their animal was dangerous. North Carolina has strict liability laws in place for dangerous animals, but owners of dogs without a history of attacking people may not be liable. If you provoked the animal or otherwise caused the attack, you won’t be able to file a claim.

Is It Worth Filing a Claim for a Dog Bite?

Whether it’s worth filing a claim for a dog bite depends on whether you sustained injuries that required medical intervention. If you were seriously injured, it’s worth filing a claim to recover damages such as hospital bills and out-of-pocket expenses related to your care. If you did not require any kind of medical treatment, didn’t miss work, and don’t have any lasting issues as a result of the attack, it may not be worth filing a claim.

How Much Is the Average Settlement for a Dog Bite?

There is no average settlement for a dog bite because every case is different. Your settlement amount will depend on factors such as the severity of the injuries you sustained in the attack and whether they will cause ongoing pain, disability, or disfigurement. People who suffer permanent disability or disfigurement from dog attacks typically get higher settlements than those who suffer only minor injuries that can be addressed with minimal medical intervention.

Contact Our Dog Bite Lawyer Team to Discuss Your Case

If you suffered a dog bite injury in Gastonia, the team at Roberts Law Firm, P.A., is here to help. Our personal injury lawyers have over 40 years of experience helping injured individuals and are ready to put that experience to the task of assisting you in holding a dangerous dog’s owner liable for compensation. Contact our offices today to schedule an initial consultation and learn more about our services.

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