What You Should Know About Dog Bites

In many dog bite cases, you can recover damages for medical costs because New York courts hold dog owners strictly liable for these damages. However, to pursue other damages such as pain and suffering, lost earning capacity and non-economic damages, a Brooklyn dog bite attorney must prove negligence — that the owner knew about the dog’s propensity for biting and failed to take precautions.

The American Humane Association reports the following dog bite statistics:

• Approximately 4.7 million dog bites occur annually in the United States
• Of those dog bites, 800,000 require medical care
• An estimated 92 percent of fatal dog attacks are caused by male dogs and of those, 94 percent were un-neutered
• Dog bite fatalities have involved at least 25 different dog breeds
• An estimated 25 percent of dog bite incidents involve chained dogs
• Children are the most at risk for dog bites and 82 percent of emergency room dog bite cases involved children under age 15
• The majority of dog bites suffered by children were to the head and neck
• Dogs bite boys under the age of 15 significantly more often than girls of the same age

Most dog bite cases involve dealing with insurance companies. In fact, the insurance industry pays over $1 billion in claims for dog bite injuries every year. Discuss your case with a Brooklyn dog bite lawyer and find out about the prospects for pursuing compensation.

Goldberg Sager & Associates has more than 50 years of legal experience helping clients recover damages in dog bite and other types of personal injury cases. We work diligently to help you recover the compensation you deserve.