Brooklyn Dog Bite Lawyer

It is frightening to have a dog attack you and bite you. Dog bites can be very painful. Plus, he victim will have to deal with concerns related to rabies. According to the Centers for Disease Control over 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year. Of that amount, 800,000 bites are serious enough for the victim to seek treatment. The most serious dog bites break the skin, damage nerves and even may result in broken bones. When a dog chases or attacks, the victim may ending up falling and suffering injuries to the head or back. Some dog bites even lead to death. If you are injured from a dog bite you may be entitled to compensation from the dog's owner. Contact an experienced Brooklyn dog bite lawyer at Stephen Bilkis & Associates who will review the facts of your case and help you hold the dog's owner responsible for biting you.

Dog Bite Injuries

Dog attack injuries can be serious. Depending on the size and type of dog, a dog bite can do much more than puncture the skin. Dog bites can actually crush bones, damage muscles and tendons, and cause nerve damage.

Dog bites can also lead to serious infections such as staph (Staphylococcus) and strep (Streptococcus). Symptoms of infections include:

• Swelling that occurs immediately after the bite
• Increased redness in the wound are
• Puss from the wound
• Odor from the wound
• Increased pain
• Fever or chills
• Wound does not heal properly

If any of these symptoms appear, immediately consult with a medical professional.

Although rabies in dogs is rare, it should still always be a concern after a dog bite. If the victim cannot ascertain that the dog was immunized for rabies, then the victim must be vaccinated. Rabies can be fatal in humans.

Damages

Victims of dog bites are often left with painful injuries and medical bills. In many cases victims must miss work while they recover, particularly where the dog bite results in a broken bone or a head or back injury. With the help of an experienced Brooklyn dog bite lawyer, you can pursue a lawsuit to hold the dog owner responsible for his or her injury. The victim can sue to recover compensation for the following:

• Medical expenses. Medical care is expensive. Even with health insurance, you may still be stuck with substantial bills for the treatment of serious dog bite injuries. Through a personal injury lawsuit, you can demand that the dog owner compensate you for your past medical bills for injuries related to the dog attack, as well as any future bills.
• Lost wages. Recovering from severe wounds, broken bones, and other injuries will take time. You may not be able to return to work for days, weeks, or months. As a result, you may lose income and benefits offered your job such as paid time off. You can demand that the dog owned may you financially whole by paying you for the wages and benefits that you lost due to the dog attack. As an experienced dog bite attorney in Brooklyn can explain, if you have permanent injuries that limit your ability to work, you can even demand compensation for loss of future earning capacity.
• Pain and suffering. Because being attacked by a dog, being bitten, and being permanently disfigured with a scar are all physically and emotionally painful experiences, the victim may be awarded compensation for pain and suffering.
• Punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded if the court finds that they defendant’s behavior was particularly egregious. For example, if the dog's owner acted willfully, resulting in the dog biting the victim, the court may award the victim punitive damages.

Contact Stephen Bilkis & Associates

If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries from an attack by a dog, contact an experienced dog bite attorney serving Brooklyn who understands both the legal issues related to dog attack cases as well as the medical implications. Contact Stephen Bilkis & Associates at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Bronx, Suffolk County and Westchester County.

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