Dog Bite Cases in the News
The National Pet Owners Society estimates that 71.1 million homes own a dog. There are 4 million dog bite-related injuries in the United States each year. 3% of these cases go unreported. The victim is either afraid of going to court or feels that they are at fault and will not get compensation for their injuries. That is not case.
Costs of dog-bite related injuries in 2003 were $321 million with the average dog bite claim at $16,600. The owner is liable for your damages, including medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. There have been millions of successful cases and you, the victim, do not have to be afraid.
Most dog bites require immediate medical attention. According to the Center for Disease Control, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department. Emergency room costs for dog bite victim are expensive. In 1994 emergency room costs were estimated $102 million and direct medical costs was about $165 million. Four years later, the insurance industry paid out more than $1 billion in dog-bite claims.
Top Successful Dangerous Dog Cases according to Animal Law
- A woman was brutally attacked by a dog. Her injuries included a number of lacerations, swelling, bruising, eyelid damage, facial fractures, and double vision. A jury awarded the woman almost $200,000 for damages, along with her pain and suffering.
- A 10 year-old boy was attack by two pit bulls. He was knocked down, dragged, then mauled causing significant facial scarring. A jury awarded the boy $1,500 for the wounds to the upper thigh, $30,000 for dog bit causing laceration of the lip and $100,000 for the actual attack.
- A woman took 27 dog bites from two aggressive dogs. She suffered a number of injuries that kept her in the hospital for two weeks with medical bills of over $40,000. The jury’s verdict was to award the woman $2.14 million.
- An infant was lightly bitten on the head by a restrained dog. The child suffered both emotional and physical scarring for over a year. The child’s family was awarded over $30,000 dollars for a minor, but seriously damaging dog bite.
The average hospital stay for a dog-bite injury has been estimated at 3.6 days.
Contact an Arizona Dog Bite Attorney
If any dog related injuries in Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa or elsewhere in Maricopa County have occurred, fatal or not, the owner should be held responsible and an Arizona dog bite injury lawyer can help. Even with prevention, dog bites and attacks occur. If you are unable to prevent a dog-bite related injury and as a result, you or a loved one have been the victim of an attack, our Arizona dog-bite injury lawyer can help get the compensation you deserve. For more information see www.azdogbitefirm.com
