Atlanta Premises Liability Lawyer Robert J. Fleming HomeDog Bites
Georgia Dog Bites
Atlanta Dog Bite Attorney
Dog attacks are scary and dangerous. As an Atlanta dog bite attorney, I know that serious injuries to dog bite victims result in damages such as medical bills, pain and suffering, mental anguish, lost wages, disfigurement, a decreased ability to labor and work in the future, future medical bills, and a diminished quality of life. In addition, the spouse of an injured dog bite victim is entitled to be compensated for the resulting loss of consortium, which is the loss of the injured spouse's companionship, services, and marital relations.
Almost 5 million people are victims of dog bites each year. Of these, nearly 20% require medical attention with about 1000 people seeking emergency care every day. While most dog bites are simply a nuisance and not serious, many do cause catastrophic injuries such as:
- lacerations and puncture wounds caused by dogs who repeatedly bite the same victim in one attack
- nerve damage
- fractured bones
- permanent scarring on the victims hands, arms, legs, feet, torso, face and head
- disfigurement from scarring and loss of limb
- Post traumatic stress disorder and emotional injuries such as post-traumatic fear of animals and social situations in which the victim could be attacked again
- crush injuries caused by the dog clutching onto the victim with its jaw and not letting go (most common in pit bull attacks)
- serious infection of wounds caused by the attack
- rabies infection if bitten by a dog or other animal which is infected with rabies
- secondary injuries and accidents when the victim is being attacked and tries to evade attack and juts into the path of oncoming traffic
- loss of limb
- virulent bacterial infections
- death
Since young children are not fully able to appreciate dangerous dogs, they are particularly vulnerable and often sustain severe dog bite injuries to their head, face and neck. According to a recent study, the average age of children injured in dog bite cases is 6 years-old. Over half of serious dog bites of children result in injuries to their cheeks, lips, nose and ears. These injuries often require extensive surgical repair. However, the emotional scarring to children (and adults) who suffer from dog attacks are often more debilitating. Few things in life are more traumatic than being mauled by a vicious dog. These attacks almost always lead to some form of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Attacks by Pit Bulls, German Shepherds and Rottweilers get the most press coverage, probably because these breeds often get a bad rap and also because their attacks can be devastating to the victims. While many Atlanta dog attacks are caused by the negligent owners of of these breeds, many other breeds attack and cause considerable damage. On a per-dog basis, Pit Bulls (including Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier) are, by far, the breed which attacks most often. It is also the breed which maims and kills it victims the most. Chow Chows are the second most vicious breed, followed by Rottweilers, Akitas, Bull Mastiffs, Greyhounds, Briards, Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, Australian Cattle Dogs, Dalmatians, Mastiffs, Old English Sheep Dogs, Belgian Malinois, Great Danes, Border Collies, Dobermans, German Shepherds and Shar-Pei.
If you have been seriously injured in an atlanta dog bite accident, you are entitled to be fully compensated for your injuries. We are experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyers who work hard to get you all that you are entitled to under the law.
If you would like to discuss your dog bite accident case with an experienced Georgia personal injury lawyer, call us at (404) 525-5150 or contact us online. We are here to help.
