subject: Dog Bite Settlement - If You Are The Victim Of A Dog Bite Or Any Other Animal Attack In New Jersey, [print this page] Dog Bites /Animal Attack - Overview Dog Bites /Animal Attack - Overview
In New jersey, there are a large number of people bitten by animals each and every year. Dogs are responsible for nearly all attacks that lead to injury. In almost all cases, in New jersey, an individual bitten by an animal has a legal right to recover damages.
Generally, it's from the animal's owner, however. There are others that might be found equally accountable.
What To Do If You have Been Bitten
Seek out medical attention immediately. Dog bites can cause serious injury, particularly if the skin has been broken. An untreated animal bite can rapidly cause serious infection if the animal was carrying disease.
I am supposing you have already obtained medical attention. Otherwise, do it now. Then,it would be wise to think about consulting with an attorney to discover the very best course of action.
At this point, you will need to figure out 2 things. 1. Do you have a legal claim? And 2. What damages are you able to recover consequently of your injury?
Your Case Evaluation To find out whether you have a claim, our New jersey dog bite lawyers consider whether the animal's owner was negligent and indirectly caused your injury.
How Much Compensation Can You Expect?
The situations around the attack are obviously different in every case. It is thus essential to accurately figure out who is liable for an animal bite.
This is why it is essential for you to consult with a lawyer to be able to determine the severity of the attack. The amount of compensation you receive will be determined mainly by which parties are liable and the resources available to cover your damages.
You may be eligible to compensation for a variety of different reasons. For example:
Medical Bills Pain and Suffering Lost Wages Mental Anguish Emotional Distress Psychological Injuries Disfigurement and a lot more!
There have been cases where the victim is awarded punitive damages in order to really punish an animal owner for reckless or intentional behavior.
For instance, a case where the owner is totally aware of an aggressive animals behavior and recklessly permits the animal run loose showing total neglect for the welfare of others.
Should This Case Be Pursued? and Is It Worth The Time And Effort?
Let's be honest. Lawsuits are costly, time consuming and need a huge amount of effort. Unlike other types of personal injury cases in New jersey, animal bites are fairly simple.
New jersey is a " Strict Liability State." What does this mean to you if you're a victim? It means the owner "shall be liable." That is a direct quote from the New jersey State Statute 4:19-16.and leaves little room for interpretation. Notice the statute did not say, "could be", "might be" or "should be." It is emphatic. It says, "SHALL BE LIABLE." It is even unneeded to prove the owner negligent. If the dog bites in New jersey, the owner is flat out liable.
How much compensation you receive is mainly dependent upon the severity of the injury and much more significantly, how articulately your attorney approaches and presents the case.
There are, however, a few circumstances where the owner of the animal isn't liable. For example, if the dog was intentionally provoked, taunted or teased leading to an attack or bite. An additional possible reason an owner will not be found culpable is that the incident occurred while the victim was trespassing on a properly posted property. In the "perfect world", any amount of injury brought on by an animal deserves to be addressed. Nevertheless, in the "real world" you and your lawyer should decide if the claim will really bring about a positive outcome. At the end of the day, does it have sufficient value? Is it worth suing a family member, friend or neighbor, thinking about the social ramifications? This is a question that can only be answered by careful evaluation and is one of the first things you should consider and discuss with your lawyer. Be sure your attorney is expert at uncovering possible sources of compensation for animal attacks that you simply might never have considered.
