With or without leash laws in California, dogs are always a threat to Long Beach residents. Anywhere you go – a beach, park, festival, or a friend’s house – there’s always a risk of encountering an aggressive dog.
Fact: an estimated 4.5 million Americans get bit by dogs every year.
Even though out of all about 78 million dogs currently owned in the U.S. only certain dog breeds are considered to be the most dangerous – German Shepherd, pit bull, Jack Russell Terrier, and a few others – any breed of dog can bite and cause devastating harm, dog bite lawyer Howard Craig Kornberg warns.
Fact #2: more than 1 in every 5 people who get bit by dogs require hospitalization.
Even though authorities are trying to bring down the number of dog bites by introducing leash laws and other strict laws against dogs, many dog owners disregard the laws, and at the same time disregard the safety of others.
Why dog bites are a big headache
Depending on the circumstances of your particular case, the dog owner will most likely be held liable for the dog bite. However, determining liability in a dog bite incident may become challenging when:
- There are no witnesses (and the dog owner claims you provoked or attacked the dog, which prompted it to defend itself and the owner)
- The dog owner flees the scene and there is no way to trace him/her or the dog
- The dog owner denies he/she owns the aggressive dog in order to avoid responsibility for the actions of the dog
In these and many other cases that make dog bites nearly impossible to prove and get compensation for, it is critical that you seek the legal advice of a Long Beach dog bite attorney.
Why do dogs bite?
Here at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg, we offer a thorough legal analysis of every dog bite and conduct a careful investigation to prove ownership of the dog, as well as that the victim did not do anything wrong that could prompt the dog bite.
Dogs bite when:
- Frightened
- Sensing danger
- Provoked or attacked
- Beaten or in pain
- Feeling the need to protect their owner or territory
- Overly aggressive due to a plethora of factors such as violent upbringing and bad treatment at home
What’s the damage of dog bites?
Besides the risk of getting infected with rabies, there are plenty of other risks associated with dog bites, including serious physical and emotional harm.
Fact: domestic dogs are the most common carrier of rabies.
Fact #2: more than 95% of human deaths are caused by rabies from dogs.
Some dog bites may require amputation, while others may be minor scratches that only require medical attention to rule out the risk of infection.
In cases when a dog bites a person’s face or other areas of the body that are visible when clothed, the victim may require costly plastic surgeries and other physical therapies. Disfigurement and disability are not uncommon in more severe cases.
Emotional scars are also among the consequences of dog bites, as victims of dog attacks may develop anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), unhealthy phobias of dogs and other animals, and may even need to undergo psychiatric treatment.
Our best Long Beach dog bite attorneys at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg also warn that not all injuries in dog bites are necessarily bites. A dog may jump the victim or knock him/her over, causing head or brain injury, broken arms, wrists, and legs, as well as other physical harm.
Even if the dog doesn’t bite but causes harm otherwise, other laws may apply if the dog owner’s negligence leads to personal injury.
How to file a dog bite claim in Long Beach?
Dog bites are much more complicated than other negligence cases, as you may be required to present juries and judges with numerous convincing proofs of your injuries (not to mention that you will have to determine ownership of the dog, collect witness accounts, seek medical attention, and talk to the dog owner’s insurance company).
By doing all these steps alone and without being legally represented by an experienced dog bite lawyer, you risk stumbling across certain obstacles that may minimize your compensation or eliminate your chances of damage recovery.
Consult our Long Beach dog bite attorney, Howard Kornberg, to hold the dog owner liable for your injuries, damages, and losses sustained by the dog bite (even if he/she claims the dog had no prior history of violence).
Contact our Long Beach offices to get a free initial consultation.
