We have a new home location! We are now located at 3700 Crestwood Parkway, Suite 600, Duluth, GA.
If you have been injured in a dog attack in Norcross or elsewhere in Gwinnett County, you may be entitled to financial compensation to pay for your expenses, pain and suffering, and other related losses. A Norcross dog bite lawyer can help.
Dog owners in Georgia have a responsibility to control their pets. If they fail in this duty and you are injured as a result, you may be able to hold them financially responsible for the harm you’ve suffered.
Georgia dog bite law is complex. Pursuing a successful claim for compensation can be challenging. To give yourself the best chance of securing the full amount of compensation you need, you should hire an experienced Norcross dog bite lawyer.
A dog bite injury attorney can investigate your case, gather the evidence, and negotiate with insurance adjusters on your behalf to help you pursue the full amount of money that you need after a dog attack.
Kevin A. Adamson, P.C. have been representing Norcross personal injury victims in the Atlanta area since 1994. Our experienced dog attack attorneys will do what it takes to seek full compensation for you after a dog attack.
To learn more about how we can help you pursue a successful animal bite claim for compensation, contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may be able to hold the owner of the dog that attacked you financially responsible for your injuries and expenses. However, you will only be able to do this if your case meets certain requirements.
Georgia’s dog bite statute is unique. In some states, you can hold a dog owner liable for injuries their dog causes regardless of the dog’s history. In other states, you can hold a dog owner liable for injuries their dog inflicts only if the dog had bitten someone in the past. Georgia’s dog bite laws rest somewhere in the middle.
Georgia is a negligence state for dog bites, meaning that you must prove the four elements of negligence: duty, breach of duty, causation, and damages. However, Georgia uses a trimmed-down definition of negligence for dog bites.
Even if the dog that bit you had never bitten anyone in the past, you may still be able to hold the owner accountable if the owner should have known the dog was dangerous, or if the owner was in violation of leash laws. Even if a dog had never behaved aggressively in the past, allowing a dog to “go at liberty” in violation of leash laws could count as proof of dangerousness under Georgia law.
It is important to note that if you provoked the dog, you may not be able to recover compensation for your animal bite injuries. Similarly, you may not be able to recover compensation if you were trespassing on the dog owner’s property at the time of the attack.
Dog bite claims are usually brought against the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance. For this reason, if you were attacked by a dog belonging to a friend, family member, or neighbor, you should not hesitate to bring a claim. The money for your compensation will most likely not come out of their pocket, but rather from an insurance policy, they have already paid for.
We recognize that pursuing a claim against someone you know can be stressful and awkward, which is why it is especially helpful to hire a lawyer. Allowing a Norcross dog bite lawyer to negotiate with your friend or neighbor’s insurer on your behalf can help to minimize any strain on your relationship while letting you recover compensation to pay for your injuries.
Hiring an animal bite lawyer is a crucial step in pursuing compensation for a dog bite claim. A dog bite lawyer familiar with Georgia’s unique dog bite statute will know what evidence will be necessary to prove that the dog in question was dangerous. “Dangerous” has a very specific meaning under Georgia law, which an experienced lawyer will understand and will collect evidence to prove.
While you focus on your recovery, your lawyer can gather the necessary evidence, file all the necessary paperwork, and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf. Lawyers can handle all communications with insurers for you. Insurance adjusters often use deceptive tactics to trick injury victims into admitting fault for their injuries. With a lawyer handling communication on your behalf, you can ensure that this does not happen to you.
If you are found to be partially responsible for your injuries, such as if the insurer argues that you provoked the dog, your compensation may be reduced by the percentage you are found to be at fault.
For example, if you are awarded $100,000 in compensation but are found to be 25% responsible for your injuries, you will ultimately receive only $75,000. Furthermore, if you are found to be 50% or more responsible for your injuries, you will be barred from recovering anything. A lawyer can advocate on your behalf to ensure you are assigned as little blame as possible so that you can recover the maximum amount of compensation.
It is further possible that insurance will reach out immediately after a dog attack to offer you a settlement. If you are injured, stressed, and facing unexpected medical bills, it may be tempting to accept this offer. However, be advised that these offers are usually lowballed figures that will not cover all of your losses.
Don’t accept an insurance company’s settlement offer without first speaking to an animal attack attorney. A dog bite attorney can evaluate the settlement offer to determine whether it appropriately compensates you for your losses and can negotiate on your behalf if it doesn’t.
The immediate consequences of dog bites are often jagged, open wounds. However, a more serious risk may be an infection. About half of dog bites introduce bacteria, which can require hospitalization and antibiotics to treat. In rare cases, the dog may introduce a more serious illness, such as rabies, which can be fatal.
If you are attacked by a dog, learn everything you can about the dog that bit you and get medical treatment as soon as possible.
Some dog bites can also lead to permanent disfigurement. People can lose fingers or suffer serious scars as a result of a dog attack. In tragic cases, usually involving children, people can even die as a result of a dog attack.
If you or someone you know has been bitten by a dog or another animal in Norcross, GA, it’s important to report the incident to the Norcross Police Department. They can provide guidance and assist in documenting the incident. Visit the official Norcross city website for their contact information: Norcross Police Department
Contact Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement to report the dog or animal bite incident. They can help investigate and ensure public safety. Visit their website for contact information: Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement
Seek immediate medical attention for any dog or animal bites. Local hospitals and medical centers in Norcross, GA, such as Northside Hospital Gwinnett or Emory Johns Creek Hospital, can provide the necessary medical care. Visit their respective websites for more information on services and contact details.
The Georgia Department of Public Health provides information and resources on animal bites, rabies prevention, and reporting requirements. Visit their website for more information: Georgia Department of Public Health
Remember, it’s important to seek medical attention for your injuries and consult with professionals who can assess the specific circumstances of the dog or animal bite incident. These resources should provide a starting point, but for the most accurate and up-to-date information, it’s recommended to reach out to the respective organizations directly.
Through a personal injury claim, you will be able to seek compensation for both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are damages which are easily calculable, including:
To facilitate the recovery of these damages, be sure to hold on to all your receipts as you pursue treatment for your injuries after the accident.
Non-economic damages are intangible but equally real damages that you might experience due to a dog attack. These can include, for example:
In rare cases, you may also be able to pursue punitive damages. These damages are awarded only when the defendant’s behavior was particularly egregious. They are meant primarily to punish the defendant and discourage similar behavior in the future.
Under the Georgia State Responsible Dog Owner law, the owner of a dangerous or vicious dog may not allow their dog off their property unless the dog is restrained on a short leash, under the immediate physical control of a person capable of preventing the dog from engaging any other human or animal when necessary, or in a cage. If the dog is on the owner’s property, the dog must be enclosed in a fence designed to prevent the dog from leaving the property, restrained on a leash, or kept in a cage. And a vicious dog owner must obtain $50,000 in liability insurance, microchip their vicious dog, and never leave that dog unattended with minors. Violation of this law is considered a high and aggravated misdemeanor.
Any dog that poses a public threat shall be immediately impounded. This can mean any dog at any time regardless of any reason or classification – so long as the officer believes it poses a public threat.
It has long been said that dogs are man’s best friend. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Sometimes, dogs become violent and bite or attack people, even when they have not been provoked. Victims of dog bites and attacks are usually taken by surprise and feel a great amount of shock afterwards. They also typically have many questions about what they should do next.
Below are just a few of the most frequently asked questions people have after a dog bite and the answers to them. If you have been the victim of a dog bite, our Norcross dog bite lawyers at Kevin A. Adamson, P.C., can answer any other questions you may have about the specific facts and circumstances in your own case. Call or reach us online today for a free consultation.
Dog bites and attacks do not cause only physical injuries. They can also cause emotional distress and leave people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you have been the victim of a dog bite, it is important that you speak to one of our Norcross dog bite attorneys at Kevin A. Adamson, P.C. We are dedicated to helping victims to pursue the compensation they need and deserve, and we want to help you, too. Contact us to schedule a free consultation and discuss your case.
If you or a loved one were injured by a dog attack in Norcross or anywhere else in Gwinnett County, do not hesitate to reach out to Kevin A. Adamson, P.C. We have been fighting for the rights of accident victims since 1994. In that time, we have recovered more than $47 million for our clients.
We are skilled at negotiating settlements outside of court, but we are also unafraid to take your case to trial if necessary. We will do what it takes to pursue the full amount of compensation you need.
We have been so successful in the field of personal injury law because we treat every case as unique. We will never use a one-size-fits-all approach for your case. Instead, we will spend the time and energy necessary to investigate every detail of your case to ensure nothing is overlooked. This thoroughness will give you and your claim the best chance of being successful.
To learn more about how we can help you seek the financial compensation you are owed if a dog has bitten you, contact us today for a free and confidential claim review.
