Huntsville Dog Bite Lawyers

Dog bite injuries are extremely painful and in many cases, lead to permanent scarring. A dog owner is liable for your injuries if the dog had dangerous propensities that the owner was aware of or should have known. The dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance is usually who will be responsible for paying for your medical bills and compensation for pain, suffering, and mental anguish.

Let our dog bite lawyers get to work for you.

Our Experience with Dog Bite Cases

We have handled over 140 dog bite cases in north Alabama. The injuries from those dog bites have ranged from small puncture wounds to fatal wounds to the neck.  Dogs can be vicious, even if unprovoked, and the consequences can be painful, permanent, and sometimes fatal. In one case involving the death of a child, we were able to achieve a $1,250,000 settlement, which was the maximum available insurance in the case.

How We Handle Dog Bite Injury Cases

We investigate the case first. We want to know the breed of the dog, search prior records for prior attacks by the dog, obtain the dog’s veterinarian records, and gather information from animal control and any other law enforcement agency. Our personal injury lawyers piece together the picture to show that the dog was dangerous and that the owner knew it or should have known it.

Alabama Law About Dog Bite Injuries

To hold a dog owner liable for injuries, you must prove that the dog owner was negligent in some manner. Here are some common scenarios where we have proven the dog owner was negligent after an injury occurred:

1) The dog owner knew the dog had dangerous propensities and did not take proper precautions to advise others of this.

2) The dog owner allowed his dog to roam freely in a neighborhood knowing that the dog had a history of aggression.

3) The dog owner brought an aggressive dog to a dog park leading to a dog fight in which someone was hurt.

Dog Bites to Children

Many of the dog bite cases we have handled involved child victims. Most children do not realize they shouldn’t pet a neighbor’s dog or don’t realize that an escaped dog could hurt them. Many of those dog bites lead to infection or scarring.

With severe injuries, sometimes surgery is needed or plastic surgery is necessary to restore the skin’s normal appearance. In one dog bite case involving a child, we were able to recover $565,000 to help with medical bills and future plastic surgery.

The personal injury settlement process for children is a little different than the process for an adult.  To learn more about injury settlements for children, read our article The Special Rules of Personal Injury Claims for Children.

Why Homeowners’ Insurance May be Involved

In most instances, we are seeking compensation from the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance company.  Homeowner’s insurance generally covers a homeowner’s negligence that occurred outside of a motor vehicle.

Homeowner’s insurance claims are different than car accident personal injury claims.  Sometimes the homeowner’s insurance tries to argue that the insurance policy doesn’t cover the incident.  Or sometimes the homeowner’s insurance company denies the claim without considering all of the evidence. That’s why you need an attorney who has experience with these type of claims.

Let Us Get to Work for You

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in a dog bite incident, please reach out for a free case evaluation. Put our experience to work for you and your family.