Having a pet is a huge responsibility. When you choose to have a dog, you might only consider the responsibility you have to them is their health. You’ll need to pay for vet visits, food, grooming, and other costs and time commitments so that they are as healthy and well-cared for as possible. However, while a dog owner is responsible for the care of their pet, they’re also responsible for any injuries their pet inflicts on others.
When you’ve been harmed by someone else’s dog in Ohio, our Cincinnati dog bite lawyer is here to represent you. We have experience representing victims of dog bites and our knowledge of dog bite law in Ohio ensure that you have the strongest claim possible.
Directly after getting bitten or injured by someone else’s dog, you likely have plenty of questions that need to be answered by a dog bite attorney. At Bey & Associates, we’re prepared to answer those questions. Let’s take a look at some information that could answer those questions for you before scheduling a consultation.
Reporting Dog Bite in Cincinnati
One of the first things you’ll need to do after you’ve suffered a dog bite or another animal attack is report it. If this has never happened to you, or if your focus is on getting medical treatment, you might not know how to report a dog bite in Cincinnati. Thankfully, Bey & Associates has that information to share with you so that you are fully informed and can make the correct decisions immediately after this serious event.
As the victim, you have 24 hours after the attack to report it to the proper authorities. There are a couple places where you can report this incident to ensure you’re making a proper report in Cincinnati. They are:
- Local health commissioner, like the Cincinnati Health Department.
- Your doctor or health care provider who performs your medical evaluation after the attack.
- Hamilton County Animal Control.
- Hamilton County Public Health.
After you report the incident with the proper authorities, the next thing you should do after getting medical treatment is to hire a dog bite lawyer. They’ll be able to help you ensure you’re making the right legal decisions and taking the correct actions immediately following your injuries.
At Bey & Associates, our Cincinnati dog bite attorney is here to guide you through the claims process and provide you with full support. We have experience representing dog bite victims in Cincinnati, and we understand how important this claim is to you. We’ll fight to get you the justice you deserve.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
The injuries that you suffer from a dog attack or any other kind of animal attack will likely be your main focus. You’ll want to take your time to recover physically and emotionally from the harm that was done to you in the attack. However, these injuries will also prove vital in your claim because they’ll prove your damages and help you recover financially with the help of a lawyer.
You might be left wondering if your injuries are typical for animal attacks and if your attorney can help you recover compensation for them. By consulting this list, you can have some reassurance that while the injuries you suffered were painful and hard to recover from, they are typical for dog bites, and your lawyer will be able to use these to prove the attack happened and caused you harm.
Here are some of the most common dog bite injuries that you could have endured in an attack:
- Bruises.
- Scratches, cuts, and lacerations.
- Puncture wounds.
- Infections.
- Rabies.
- Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries.
- Soft tissue injuries, like sprains.
- Broken bones.
- Facial injuries.
- Serious scarring.
- Disfigurement.
- PTSD.
- Other psychological injuries.
When the victim of the dog bite was a child, the injuries could be even more severe because a child is so much smaller than an animal in most cases. When they’re knocked over or overtaken by a dog, a child could fall much harder and suffer serious injuries.
Adults can suffer bad injuries as well when they’re knocked over because they have further to fall. Elderly adults can even suffer deadly injuries when they’re attacked by an animal if they are frail, in poor health, or fall on their head.
No matter your age, when you’re hurt by a dog bite or another animal attack, you could use the help of a lawyer. Our Cincinnati dog bite lawyer is here to help you recover what you’re owed for the injuries you suffered.
What You Can Recover in a Dog Bite Claim
With all this information, you might be wondering exactly what kinds of damages you can recover after a dog bite or dog attack. Thankfully, when you have an experienced dog bite attorney on your side, they’ll know exactly what damages you’re owed based on your evidence and know how to help you get full and fair compensation for those losses.
There are different categories of damages that will likely apply to your case, depending on what kinds of injuries and other costs you suffered in the attack. These are economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are the more physical losses you endured, like injuries, repair costs, and other tangible bills to be paid. Noneconomic damages are more abstract costs you suffered, like the emotional suffering you incurred from the incident.
When you have an experienced lawyer representing you, they’ll know what factors into both of these losses and what they can financially recover for you. Some of those factors are:
- Medical bills.
- Repair costs of any kind.
- Lost wages.
- Future cost of care.
- Future lost wages.
- Pain and suffering.
- Emotional turmoil.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
- Permanent disfigurement.
These are just some of the factors that could be included in your damages when you file a dog bite claim. Your Cincinnati dog bite attorney will also be able to advise you if you have suffered punitive damages, which are rarer, but result from gross negligence. With their legal counsel, you’ll have a full scope of what you’re owed.
Bey & Associates Is Here to Support You
After suffering from a dog bite, you need legal support to help you get compensation for your injuries and other damages. You could feel vulnerable after the animal hurt you, which is understandable. This could make you hesitant to take legal action, but that’s where our Cincinnati dog bite lawyers come in.
At Bey & Associates, we understand this is a sensitive situation, which is why we’re here to ensure you feel supported and heard every step of the way. Reach out to our office today so we can schedule a consultation and get started on your case.
