Dog Bites in Brooklyn: Know Your Rights From a Brooklyn Personal Injury Attorney

Brooklyn Dog Bite Injury Attorney
personal injuries lawyers, dog bite injury, new york personal injury lawyerWith more and more dogs being taken in by Brooklyn residents, dog bites and injuries have become increasingly prevalent. Owners are legally responsible for all damages their animals cause to victims, regardless of whether the dog had any prior aggressive tendencies.

If you have suffered a dog bite injury and had to deal with the resulting medical expenses, call a Brooklyn personal injury attorney to find out what your legal rights are and whether you are entitled to compensation for the injuries you have suffered.

What You Should Do After Being Bitten

To ensure proper healing of your injury and secure the best chance of receiving the compensation to which you are entitled, follow these steps upon suffering an injury of this kind:

  • Thoroughly cleanse and disinfect your wounds.
  • Seek medical attention immediately, even if you don’t think there is any risk of infection. It’s better to be safe, and this will also establish a medical record for your injuries.
  • Notify an animal control agency in your area.
  • Take photos of your injuries.
  • Get information from any witnesses who observed the attack, as well as from the dog’s owner.
  • Don’t sign any paperwork by the dog owner or his/her insurance company or anyone else concerned with the incident without consulting with your Brooklyn personal injury attorney first.

Laws in New York

The laws of New York impose strict liability on pet owners whose animals cause any injuries. The victim has the burden of proving that the animal is vicious, and that the owner should have known about the animal’s vicious tendencies. A “vicious propensity” includes “the propensity to do any act that might endanger the safety of the persons and property in a given situation.” Bard v. Jahnke, 6 N.Y.3d 592 (N.Y. 2006).

If you can prove that the dog had a vicious or dangerous nature, New York law allows recovery for general negligence. You might also be able to recover out-of-pocket expenses, punitive damages, and loss of wages.

Let Us Help

If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog bite accident, the experienced Brooklyn personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Please contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (800) WORK-4-YOU or (800) 967-5496. We can also help 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.