Jersey City Dog Bite Injury Attorneys

If you were hurt in a dog attack, you may be grappling with serious injuries and also facing steep medical expenses, lost wages, and more. You don’t have to face these challenges alone. The Jersey City personal injury attorneys at Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers can help.

Sometimes, man’s best friend can turn into his own worst enemy. The American Veterinary Medical Association finds that every year in the United States, more than 4.5 million people are the victims of dog bites. Close to 800,000 of those people require serious medical attention.

While most dogs are loving and faithful companions, some animals are just not safe to be around either due to behavioral issues or poor upbringing by an irresponsible owner. Dogs can be very strong and powerful animals, which means their bites can cause tremendous damage and result in expensive medical treatments. A serious bite can be painful, leave behind major scars, and can result in serious illnesses.

You or a loved one may have already been on the receiving end of a serious dog-related injury, so should you also be on the hook for expensive medical care as well? At Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers, we don’t think so. That’s why we work with you to get you the compensation you deserve following a dog bite incident.

If you’ve been the victim of a dog bite, you have rights under the law. Contact Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers to learn more about those rights and what you can do to recover compensation for your injuries. Call us today at (201) 583-5765 to schedule a free case review.

Do You Need an Attorney Following a Dog Bite Incident?

The short answer is yes. According to data from the Insurance Information Institute, dog bite claims cost homeowners insurers $797 million in 2019. In 2019, New Jersey was one of the top ten states for dog bite claims, with 699 total claims costing $33.5 million.

We understand that, in many dog bite cases, the dog’s owner may be a friend or a family member, so you may be hesitant to pursue compensation. Fortunately, in almost all dog bites instances, it is the dog owner’s homeowners insurance policy that covers your expense or losses, not the dog owner themselves.

Many homeowner’s insurance policies cover dog bite incidents. However, getting the insurance company to pay you what you’re owed is another matter entirely. Some insurance companies will value profits over your health and safety and offer you a significantly smaller settlement than what you really deserve. Having an attorney back you up can make a world of difference.

We will negotiate with insurance adjusters on your behalf in order to make sure they are fairly compensating you for your injuries and not taking advantage of you. If an insurance company is unwilling to negotiate in good faith, the legal team at Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers is ready and willing to take them to court. Their first priority may be protecting their profits, but our first priority is protecting you.

Types of Injuries Related to Dog Bites

Dog bite injuries are serious for several reasons. First, because they can cause serious physical damage and trauma. Dog bites can also lead to serious and even fatal infections. In addition to the physical scars that dog bites can inflict, these types of events can also leave deep emotional scars as well. While the event itself can be devastating and lead to post-traumatic stress responses, the physical damage can also impact a victim’s mental well-being. Scars can contribute to low-self esteem, make a victim feel self-conscious, depressed, and diminish a person’s quality of life.

While every dog bite incident is different, there are some common injuries that are typically associated with bites and dog attacks. These injuries may include:

• Puncture wounds
• Broken bones
• Head injuries
• Crushing injuries
• Scrapes and cuts
• Nerve damage
• Emotional trauma

Getting immediate medical treatment for a dog bite is critical, even if you don’t think the injury appears that serious. Dog bites can lead to serious infections from bacteria found in the dog’s mouth. Not only can an infection slow the body’s ability to heal the wound, but it can also cause serious illnesses and complications. Dog bites can lead to the following infections and diseases:

• MRSA
• Tetanus
• Pasteurella
• Capnocytophaga 
• Rabies

It is important to make sure that following a dog bite, you try to find out if the animal is up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations. While cases may be rare in the United States today, rabies is a serious disease. If not treated properly, once tell-tale symptoms appear, rabies has a mortality rate of over 99%.