Dog Bite Victims
Every day you hear about people being attacked by a pit bull, Rottweiler, or Doberman. It doesn’t matter what type of dog it is—if it bites you or one of your children and has either bitten someone before or was known to be vicious, you may have a personal injury case that allows you to be compensated.
If you or a family member has been bitten by a dog, find out what you can do and how Segar & Sciortino’s experienced attorneys can help. Our initial meeting is free. So call or text us today.
Common Dog Bite-Related Questions
Proving that a dog is vicious or has a history of biting people can be based on reports from Animal Control or what other people have witnessed, such as aggression or the dog biting someone in the past. While the breed of the dog isn’t a determining factor in and of itself, it can be “suggestive” and used in conjunction with other factors.
With dog bite-related personal injury cases, the nature and seriousness of the injuries, whether the case can be settled before trial, the complexities of the case, and many other factors all play a role in determining how long it will take to resolve your case. In every case, it’s our goal to respond to your needs and to initiate prompt legal action so your case can be resolved as fairly and quickly as possible.
Some of the items of damage you may receive include:
- Past and future pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life due to your injuries
- Past and future lost wages and other financial benefits lost due to your disability from work
- Past and future medical bills relating to the injuries you suffered
- If you’re married, your spouse has a claim for the loss caused to your marriage including loss of love, companionship, and spousal services
- In cases of death, financial losses caused to the decedent’s spouse, children, and other dependents
In New York State, an injured adult generally has three (3) years to start a lawsuit against the negligent person or entity, beginning from the time the dog bite occurred.
A personal injury claim against New York State must be filed within two (2) years, although you have only one (1) year and ninety (90) days to file against a city, county, or other municipality. Against a school district you have only one (1) year. It’s important to recognize that you must also file a written Notice of Claim within ninety (90) days of your accident for any claim against a municipality, including New York State, school districts and most public authorities. This has to be done before you can start a lawsuit. A personal injury action against someone for intentionally causing injury must be filed within one (1) year from the injury.
Keep in mind that the time requirement for filing a dog bite lawsuit varies depending on who it is you need to sue. Please don’t wait. Call us to find out how long you have and how we can help.
If the responsible person, entity, or their insurance company does not make a fair offer to settle your case, it is important that your case be brought into court and if necessary, tried before a jury. Although most cases settle for fair value before going to trial, it is important to always be prepared.