Martin O'Malley in 2014. If you are the victim of a dog bite in Baltimore City, our Baltimore dog bite attorneys are on call. If you or a family member encounter or observe a stray dog, especially if it is displaying aggressive, threatening, or unusual behavior, you should contact your local animal control department or police department. Would you like to hire an attorney from William G. Kolodner Personal Injury Lawyers, in Baltimore, to help you with your battle for compensation? Contact our dog bite lawyer in Baltimore if you have questions about landlord liability.
Aggressive behavior presents itself when a dog, its pack, or its property is being encroached upon. An effective dog bite attorney will be able to evaluate your case, gather evidence, and make the best arguments based on the evidence that fit within the structure of the relatively new dog bite statute. The action of seeking immediate medical attention is critical to a personal injury case if you file one down the road in Crofton or another Maryland jurisdiction. Additionally, it is essential to speak to a knowledgeable Maryland dog bite attorney to discuss any legal options for compensation. Step 1: Get the Owner's Contact Information. Under the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Code, section 3-1901, when a person is injured with a dog bite via negligence, he or she is entitled to base the claim on the doctrine of negligence. Causation refers to the actions that lead up to the dog bite event when the owner breached their duty. Your consultation with a knowledgeable attorney is free. Essentially, the court adjusted the element of proof from knowledge that any particular dog is dangerous, to knowledge that a dog is a pit bull. Maryland law allows you to recover compensation for these losses, and a dog bite lawyer will ensure you get the highest amount allowable. Dog bite cases aren't the same as vehicle accident cases since the proof requirements are considerably different. Some of the most common injuries sustained by individuals who are attacked by dogs include: - Lacerations. Often times, that compensation you receive after a dog bite will be covered by homeowner's policies or renter's insurance policies. If you are bitten by a dog in Baltimore, it's important to understand the dog bite laws in Maryland, so you know your rights.
In these cases, while someone you care for may be the "defendant", what really matters is who is paying the settlement and that is the insurance company. Dog bites are often sensitive matters. We take you into great consideration and vow to stand by your side during times of hardship, promoting fairness with each case we take on. What To Do After a Dog Bite. Teach your child to allow a dog to sniff your child's hand before touching or petting the dog. Many are forced to face permanent scarring and disfigurement that serves as a constant reminder of their trauma. In Maryland, the statute of limitations on a lawsuit for personal injuries arising from a dog bite or attack is three years from the date of injury.
Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer If You've Suffered a Dog Bite in Baltimore. As a country, we spend $1 billion a year in medical costs from animal attacks. Immediately after you have received the medical treatment you need, it is wise to contact a lawyer who has experience with dog bite cases. After you've been attacked by a dog, it's extremely important that you report your injury to doctors and get good medical care. How Common Are Dog Bites? Insurance adjusters typically offer about 20 percent of the claim's value. It is important to note that knowledge of dangerous propensities in an animal's behavior is not implied if it is solely based on the breed of the animal. Some additional injuries that can be sustained from a dog attack include: According to a study conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, there are thousands of emergency room visits and hospital stays related to dog bites every year. The numbers show that treating a dog bite costs an average of $30, 000. The statute also provides that provoking, teasing, tormenting, or abusing a dog will bar you from recovery. "The firm developed a program and mitigation strategies to help provide the best possible outcome of the case.
Investigations are often used to reveal improper: - Dog training. Nearly 37 percent of homes in the United States have at least one dog. Changes to Baltimore Dog Bite Law Now Benefits Pit Bull Owners. If you have been injured by a dog and believe that your situation calls for a personal injury lawsuit, contact Albers & Associates. The number one most important thing is to call a trial attorney who has experience handling dog bite cases.
Dog bite liability is also established in Statute 3-1901. For example, many counties in Maryland have laws that require the owner of the dog to have the dog on a leash and under proper control when the dog is off the owner's private property. This is a fact-sensitive issue that deserves the attention of an experienced personal injury attorney. The first thing you should do is obtain the owner's personal and contact information. The Dangers of Dog Bites. A driver's license is usually the best information source in this regard. By following the guidelines of dog bite laws and state personal injury laws, we work with you and your case to reach a plausible consensus on the situation. Dog bite cases in the Baltimore-Washington area often have high settlement values because there is usually insurance to cover the loss and the injuries are often severe. Does the lawyer seem interested in solving your problem? If you have been injured by a dog in the City of Baltimore, and need someone to stand up and help you fight for financial compensation, please do not hesitate to give us a call. Under Maryland law, if you sue a dog owner for dog bite injuries, the dog bite alone creates a rebuttable presumption that the owner knew the dog was dangerous.
Compensation for personal injuries falls into two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages. The experienced dog bite trial attorneys at Alpert Schreyer will listen to you, will walk you through the process, and help you to get full medical recovery. There are various local laws and ordinances that regulate the conduct of animal owners in general and dog owners in particular. According to the results of a study published in 2019, the top six breeds with the highest bite risks were: - "Unknown". According to the changes, the law states that if the injured person can show that the dog caused the injury, the owner will be held liable. The duration of the attack. Unsurprisingly, the owner of the dog may not share everything about their pet's history without a fight. The owner of the dog is liable for any injuries, deaths, or personal property damage caused by their dog while their dog is running at large. Our lawyers handle dog bite personal injury cases in Maryland on behalf of victims and their Bites Cause Serious Injuries. Dog bites can cause very serious and sometimes permanent physical injuries.
Dog bites are ranked 5th on the list of reasons children end up in the emergency room and, far too often, the bites are on the child's face. We don't charge anything until we win your case. For example, in the case ofHamilton v. Smith, the court established that the owner of three dogs that attacked a young boy had actual knowledge of the dogs' vicious tendencies. Provoking, abusing, teasing, or tormenting the dog. Start keeping a journal. Reach out to an experienced personal injury lawyer from William G. Kolodner Personal Injury Lawyers, today to learn more about your legal options. Step 3: File a Report with the Police. To prove negligence, your attorney would need to show that the dog owner owed a duty to you to keep the dog from biting you, that this duty was breached, and that it caused you injuries serious enough to warrant compensation. But with insurance companies, it is almost invariably a battle to get to a reasonable settlement without a ryland Dog Bite Settlements and Verdicts. Being forced to foot medical bills and suffer emotional losses is one option, but it may not be necessary in situations of owner negligence. Dog bites can cause painful, debilitating, and disfiguring injuries, which can limit your ability to work and live a normal life, and can also lead to significant medical costs. Negligence is another doctrine or theory that may impact your case. By researching lawyer discipline you can: Ensure the attorney is currently licensed to practice in your state. Dog Bite Injury Attorneys in Baltimore.
"I cannot say enough good things about this firm. First, you are creating a paper trail of your claims. Maryland Dog Bite Lawyer. However, the state as a whole adheres to the ancient and somewhat harsh doctrine of contributory negligence when dealing with dog bites in Baltimore. What to do if You Have Sustained a Dog Bite Injury in Maryland. Sadly, most dog bite victims who suffer serious injuries are children. This liability is fertile ground for a dog bite injury lawsuit. If a "potentially dangerous dog" causes another injury, the dog owner should have known to exercise additional caution, and he or she can be held strictly liable. With those statements in your possession, you and your dog bite injury lawyer can present a strong case.