Marion County Dog Bite Lawyer  

Dog bites, if left untreated, could lead to disease, infection, or even death. If you or a loved one has been attacked, mauled, or bitten by a dog, you need to contact a Marion County dog bite attorney to discuss your situation and how you can obtain compensation for your loss.

Dog bites are unique injuries in that they can result in lasting physical, emotional, and psychological damage to the victim. Some dog bite victims never feel safe or comfortable around dogs again, especially children.

In fact, the California Injury Prevention, Policy & Practice Conference estimates that dog bites account for one of the most frequent reasons why children visit the emergency room each year. If you have been bitten by a dog, get in touch with a Marion County dog bite lawyer who can help. Consult an experienced personal injury attorney to learn about how you can protect yourself after you have been bitten.

What to Do if Bitten

If an individual has been bitten by a dog, the first step is to try to remain calm. Appearing hysterical could further enrage or alert the dog, which could cause further injury.

It is extremely important to keep cool and try to refrain from screaming. It is also important to avoid any eye contact or sudden movement. Defend to prevent further injury, and try to find a safe place, then call the police. All of this may happen in the blink of an eye, so the better approach is prevention.

If encountering a new or strange dog, do not pet it without asking for permission, avoid eye contact, and try to allow the dog its own personal space. After a dog bite has occurred, make notes about everything that happened. Try to write down relevant times, names, and locations. When speaking with a Marion County dog bite lawyer, refer to this memorialization of the incident. Lawsuits can take many years to resolve and an individual’s memory worsens over time. Making notes about the details surrounding the incident will help to recall these details at a later date.

Understanding Dog Bite Laws

In Tennessee, the law generally requires that the victim prove the dog caused the victim’s injury or damages the victim’s property, and also that the victim was in a public place or lawfully in a private place. This is a conjunctive requirement, so there may not be recovery if the victim can only show one of the two criteria.

What Happens When the Lawsuit is Filed

Many people are concerned about the wellbeing of the dog when a lawsuit is filed. Rest assured that this is a concern that an attorney can communicate to the adversary during litigation. In some cases, an individual’s personal liability policy may cover the unintentional bite.

If the dog bite is a covered loss under the dog owner’s insurance policy, then the bite may be covered up to the limits of the policy. Pursuing the owner after the insurance policy is exhausted is a topic of conversation to be discussed between the victim and the Marion County dog bite lawyer.

Mandatory Training

In some jurisdictions, a dog bite will result in the owner being required to train the dog and enroll the dog in a training facility to prevent future dog bites. If the victim wishes to avoid causing harm to the dog as a result of the lawsuit, this is something that may be negotiated as part of the litigation strategy.

Talk to a Marion County Dog Bite Attorney

Lawsuits for dog bites are governed by very strict deadlines. Under Tennessee Code §28-3-104(a)(1), a victim only has one year from the bite to file a lawsuit. Failing to follow this rule could result in the summary dismissal of the case. If you have questions about your case, call a Marion County dog bite lawyer now. Your legal advocate can look at the existing evidence and use it to build your personal injury case.