Judge to Determine if Dog that Attacked Neighbors is Dangerous

A judge will decide if a dog that attacked a 7-year-old girl and an 85-year-old woman on separate occasions should be deemed vicious or dangerous. According to a news report in the PostStar, the young girl was bitten by the pit bull on the face and back, on May 27, 2011, on Feeder Dam Road in Moreau, and the 85-year-old woman was knocked to the ground by two dogs on the same road on June 16, 2011. The young victim required 36 stitches and the elderly woman was hospitalized for severe lacerations. The mother of the young victim is considering seeking compensation for the suffering that has occurred because of the attack and for the substantial medical bills that resulted from the attack.
Under New York law, a dangerous dog “is one that without justification either (a) attacks and injures or kills a person, companion animal, farm animal or domestic animal or (b) behaves in a manner which a reasonable person would believe poses a serious and unjustified imminent threat of serious physical injury or death.” Owners of dogs that attack people who are legally on public or private property may be held liable for the damages suffered in the attack.
In some New York dog bite cases, additional compensation may be available if the dog owner is found negligent. Did the dog owner know the animal had violent tendencies and failed to keep the dog on a leash? Could the attack have been prevented if the animal was secured indoors or in a fenced yard? Did the dog have a prior history of attacking people and pets?
Seeking compensation for a New York dog attack can be complicated. Dog owners may deny responsibility or they may not have adequate insurance to cover the substantial injuries and damages sustained by victims. It takes a skilled personal injury lawyer with substantial experience handling dog bite cases to obtain fair and full compensation for victims and their families.
The New York personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm have a lengthy history handling dog bite cases in New York. Our personal injury law firm has been named in the New York Law Journal for obtaining $750,000 for a young dog bite victim – the highest settlement/verdict awarded to an animal bite victim in New York State in 2010. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a dog attack, please call our offices at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496) to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights. We can also help you with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit our website: www.work4youlaw.com
Source: Post Star