Fullerton Dog Bite Lawyers

Generally, the victim of a dog bite in Fullerton or any city is entitled to receive compensation for the full range of his damages. The specific items of damages can include pain, mental suffering, permanent scarring, temporary or permanent disability, loss of future earning capacity, loss of quality-of-life, medical expenses to treat the injury, cosmetic services to improve the appearance of the injury, psychological counseling, damaged clothing, and loss of income. The foregoing list covers the most common examples of loss, and is not exhaustive.

Dog bite losses exceed $1 billion per year. More than 350,000 dog bite victims are seen in emergency rooms every year. Approximately 800,000 victims receive some form of medical attention annually. Nevertheless, only 16,000 victims per year receive money from homeowners insurance companies and renters insurance companies. This equals 0.004% of the victims - just 4 out of every 1,000. Although these insurers pay over $350 million to all victims, the average insurance payment for a dog bite case is only $18,750.

Getting bitten by a dog in Fullerton or any city is the fifth most frequent cause of visits to emergency rooms caused by activities common among children. (The leading causes of emergency room visits overall are falls, being struck by or against an object, natural or environmental causes, poisening, being cut or pierced, and motor vehicle accident.)

An American has a one in 50 chance of being bitten by a dog each year. (CDC.)

Punitive damages consist of money over and above that which is required to compensate the victim, awarded for the purpose of punishing a defendant and making an example of him. In a few states, a multiple of the compensatory damages are awarded to the victim if the dog previously bit a person. Except for those double-damages or triple-damages statutes, punitive damages are rarely awarded in dog bite cases because liability usually is based on merely owning the dog.

In cases where the dog owner knew that his dog was dangerous or vicious, however, he faces the very real possibility of having to pay punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. Because the purpose is to punish the wrongdoer, the dog owner himself, and not his insurance company, must pay the punitive damages. Additionally, there is legal authority that such damages cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.

Suppose the victim was trespassing or provoking the dog, or was injured without being bitten?

If the victim was trespassing or provoking the dog that bit him, he can't use the "statutory cause of action" but can still use the one bite rule.If the victim was injured but not bitten, he usually has to satisfy the requirements of the one bite rule. However, the dog liability statutes of a number of states cover all canine-inflicted injuries, regardless of their cause; in those states, a victim's claim can be based on the statute even if he was not bitten.

A case that has any of these features has to be handled by an attorney.

Are there people who are never allowed to get compensated for a dog bite?

People who generally work with dogs are the biggest exception to the rules of dog bite liability. Even in places that do not allow dog professionals to seek compensation, there are other ways to do so. For that reason, you should always must consult an attorney after getting bitten.
There are things they can do before an accident happens that will increase their chances of receiving fair compensation for medical costs, loss of income and other damages.

Yes, there are a great many issues to consider with a dog bite. You should consider consulting a Fullerton dog bite attorney. Even a safe and neighborhood oriented community like Lake Forest has its share of dog bite accidents. If you or a loved one ever incurs a dog bite related accident, call us right away.

Bisnar | Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, LLP has dedicated their practice to victims of serious injuries due to negligence. You can contact us for a free consultation or you may call 1-800-561-4887.

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