Whether you are the victim of an attack by a stray dog or your child was bitten by the dog next door, dog bites are some of the most dangerous yet common injuries faced by Americans. If you have been injured by someone else’s pet, contact the Middletown, Ohio dog bite lawyers at Kruger & Hodges, Attorneys at Law. While it is a rare occasion for someone to be killed by a dog attack, these encounters often leave victims facing scars, disfigurement, nerve damages, and lasting and painful memories of the event.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that approximately 4.5 million individuals each year in the United States receive treatment for dog injuries. Meanwhile, approximately 33 people die each year due to these attacks. More than half of these attacks occur at either homes or familiar places.
There are various disease risks associated with being bitten by a dog, especially dogs who have not yet been vaccinated for rabies. One reason that so many diseases can result from a dog attack is that 60 types of bacteria can be found in a dog’s mouth.
Some of the most common bacterial diseases that result from dog attacks include:
While they might sound tame in comparison to other types of accidents, the victims of dog attacks often find themselves facing several types of damages including:
A “statute of limitations” refers to the amount of time that a person has to file a lawsuit following a dog attack. If your Middletown, Ohio dog bite lawyers do not file your claim within a specific amount of time, you will likely be barred from pursuing compensation in a court of law. The statute of limitations for a strict liability dog bite lawsuit in the state of Ohio is six years for adults.
If a victim is a minor, the individual has a six-year window that begins running on that individual’s 18th birthday. While some people believe that six years is an ample amount of time, it is critical to not hesitate in pursuing a claim. This window is reduced to only two years for negligence lawsuits. Not only is there a risk that your case might end up outside the statute of limitations, but critical evidence might also be lost.
If you are injured in a dog attack, there are some critical steps that you should remember to follow to make sure that your right to pursue compensation is not impacted. These steps include:
At Kruger & Hodges, we have experience fighting for dog bite victims and know how to navigate even the toughest cases. Contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation with our experienced Middletown, Ohio dog bite lawyers.
With Middletown, Ohio having over 30 parks, there is no shortage of possibilities of where to spend your time. Play some soccer, spend some time on nature trails, or have a picnic at Jacot Park. Spend some time at Bull’s Run Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum. Bull’s Run Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum is named after a pasture that was used for bulls in the mid-1800s. The Park holds the last free-flowing section of Bull’s Run Creek which was an original Middletown boundary in 1802.