Dog Bite Lawyer - Dog Bite Lawyer Referral

There are approximately 4.5 million reported dog bites annually in the United States (nearly 2 % of the American population). The majority of dog bites are never reported to local authorities.
Ten to 20 people die every year as a result of dog bites in the U.S. By far, the majority of the victims are children.
1,000 dog bite victims per day are seen in hospital emergency rooms.
Children are more likely to be bitten than any other segment of the population.
More than 40 percent of severe bite victims are children under age 11.
More than half of all children will be victims of a dog bite by the time they reach age 12.
Dog attacks account for one-third of all liability claims on homeowners' insurance policies. According to the Western Insurance Information Service, the insurance industry paid out more than $1 billion in dog-bite claims.
Dog bites to people of the male gender are approximately two times greater than the incidence involving females.
Dogs that are licensed with an identifiable owner are implicated in the vast majority of dog bites (when compared with strays).
Dogs not known to the victim account for approximately 10 - 20% of all reported dog bites.
Dogs between one and five years are involved in more dog bite incidences than dogs older than 6 years. Male dogs are more frequently involved when compared with female dogs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention document that a chained dog is 2.8 times more likely to bite than an unchained dog.
Canines not spayed or neutered are three times more likely to bite than sterilized ones.
The majority of dog bites to people are inflicted to the lower extremities followed by bites to the upper extremities including the head, face and neck.
The breeds most often involved in fatal attacks are Rottweilers and Pit bulls.

The legal rights of a dog bite victim depend on where the attack happened. Most states make the owner responsible for all bites, even if the animal has not shown any previous aggressive tendencies. In every state, any person might be liable if he or she was negligent or maintained custody or control of the animal with knowledge that it was dangerous or aggressive. In cities with a "leash law," violation may constitute negligence.

In most states a victim can recover compensation from a dog owner because of the state's "dog bite statute." Generally, dog bite statutes make a dog owner responsible for all bites, even if the dog never bit anyone before. The fact that a dog does not have prior attacks, or that the owner has no awareness of a dog's viciousness is not determinative in a Dog Bite lawsuit.

Sometimes a victim can recover compensation from people who, at first glance, might appear to have little to do with the dog. For example, a landlord might be liable if he knows that a tenant keeps a dog that bites people, provided that the landlord has the legal power to get rid of the tenant. Or a day care center might be liable for permitting someone with a large, aggressive dog to allow it onto the premises.