Garden City Dog Bite Lawyer

When an owner doesn’t properly restrain their pet, they can be held responsible for the damage done to victims. Our dog bite lawyers at Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP can help you navigate the law, supporting your pursuit of damages in Garden City.

What Can You Receive for Your Garden City Dog Bite Case?

Compensation can provide resources to help you recover from your injuries. After being attacked by a dog, any of your medical expenses are eligible for compensation, such as:

• Emergency services
• Hospitalizations
• Surgery
• Medical equipment
• Prescriptions
• Physical therapy

Animal attacks can cause more than just physical damage, though. According to a 2019 study in Heliyon, 80 percent of dog bites occur at home, meaning you may have known the dog. Being bitten by a familiar animal in a safe location can be especially traumatic. Stress, phobias, and other mental health issues can result from a dog attack. In addition to this mental and emotional toll, your recovery may have interfered with your ability to work. You may be able to receive damages for those losses as well. We determine if your case qualifies you for compensation covering:

• Pain and suffering, which may be available through a third-party claim or lawsuit
• Disfigurement
• Disability
• Lost wages
• Reduced earning capacity

Damages should even the scales. A dog bite that leaves physical, psychological, and financial wounds should be compensated accordingly.

Beyond Bites

Not all dog attacks are bites. Even if you weren’t bitten, you could still be eligible for damages if an encounter left you with:

• Bruises
• Lacerations
• Broken bones
• Infections

New York law doesn’t mention bites, but attacks by dangerous dogs (AGM § 123). If a dog knocks you down and the fall causes you to break your arm, that dog injured you. Likewise, if you sustain injuries that become infected, the cost of treating that infection may also be eligible for reimbursement.

What Can We Do to Help Your Dog Bite Case?

Dog attacks are a form of premises liability case. Just as a property owner can be held responsible if you fall on their premises and break a leg, they can be held liable for what their dog does. In some forms of premises liability, a property owner can only be held liable for injuries if they were negligent and didn’t keep their property safe. Dog bites are different; in many states, the fact that a dog attacked someone alone is evidence of negligence. Other states follow a one-bite rule, meaning a dog must have bitten someone before for the owner to be held responsible for a second bite. However, New York is unique. A dog owner can be held liable for medical costs without proving negligence. For other damages, you need to prove the dog owner was careless, especially if the dog has a record of being dangerous, similar to a one-bite law. A dangerous dog is defined as one that:

• Attacks a person, domestic animal, or service animal without justification, causing injury or death
• Behaves in a way that a reasonable person would consider seriously threatening

Our dog bite lawyers can help determine which form of damages your case allows and then help you pursue them. We can research:

• The dog’s history: We can determine if there were previous instances of aggression or injury by the dog, especially if it was adjudicated as dangerous.
• Witness statements: Interviews with those present, as well as friends and neighbors, can help underscore a dog’s pattern of behavior.
• Photos and video: Evaluating the scene and circumstances of the attack can shed light on negligence.
• Expert analysis: Our team can consult medical and animal experts to highlight what went wrong in your case.

In addition to gathering evidence, we keep you updated on how your claim or suit is progressing and remain available to answer any questions. Your case is a priority to our firm.

Negligent Scenarios

If an owner did not take reasonable precautions to prevent their dog from causing injury to others, they can be held accountable. What that looks like includes any failure to:

• Keep a dog on a leash in public, such as in parks or on sidewalks
• Prevent a dog from entering your property
• Restrain a dog on the owner’s property

For example, if your neighbor’s dog is known to regularly escape, get into other people’s yards, and act aggressively, the owner could be considered negligent if the dog bites someone during one of these escapes. Talk us through the situation that happened to you, and we can determine if negligence was at play in your dog attack.

What If You’re Not the One Who Was Injured?

Dog attacks disproportionately affect children, and the injuries can be more serious. The Heliyon study highlights that young children are more likely to have bites on their heads or necks compared to adults. Since your child cannot seek compensation on their own, you can do so on their behalf, either through an insurance claim or an injury lawsuit. Likewise, in the event a dog attack costs the life of your loved one – whether they were a child or an adult – you may be able to pursue wrongful death damages for them. This can help alleviate the burden of medical bills, funeral costs, and burial expenses, in addition to providing compensation for pain and suffering and other non-economic damages.

Statute of Limitations

Depending on which lawsuit you file, you will have a different deadline for the paperwork. In New York, the deadlines are generally the following:

• Personal injury: three years under CPLR § 214
• Wrongful death: two years under EPTL § 5-4.1

However, some factors can shorten your deadline. We can determine how long you have to file a lawsuit during a consultation.

Call Today to Learn About Your Eligibility for Damages

Dog attack laws in New York are unique, and understanding what compensation you deserve can be challenging. A personal injury lawyers at Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP serve victims in Garden City. We can clarify your legal options and give you an idea of how much your case may be worth. We also assist clients in Spanish. Call our office and receive a free consultation: (516) 451-7900.