Etobicoke Dog Bite Lawyer
The emotional trauma from a dog attack can be as harmful as the physical injuries you suffer from the dog bite itself. To make matters worse, the victims have to struggle with medical expenses to treat their dog bite injuries. Many people do not realize that they do not have to shoulder this burden alone. Whoever is responsible for the dog that bit you should and can be held liable for your damages, including, but not limited to, medical expenses and lost wages.
A dog bite lawyer serving Etobicoke can investigate your accident, establish the liable party, and take legal action against them to get you the compensation you deserve.
Call Preszler Injury Lawyers at 1-800-JUSTICE to arrange for your free initial consultation.
Ontario’s Dog Bites Laws Are on Your Side
Ontario’s Dog Owners Liability Act strictly holds dog owners liable for injuries their dogs inflict on humans or other domestic animals. According to this law, a dog owner is the individual who “possesses or harbors the dog.”
It does not matter whether the dog’s owner knew about the dog’s potential for attacking, nor does it matter whether the dog’s owner was at fault or negligent in any way. Ontario courts will still consider the owner to be liable. That said, courts might lessen the damages for which the owner is liable if they were not at fault or negligent, or if they were unaware of their dog’s propensity for attacking.
Call Preszler Injury Lawyers at 1-800-JUSTICE to arrange for your free initial consultation.
Types of Injuries Resulting from Dog Bites
According to Health Canada’s statistics on dog attacks, the most common injuries caused by dog bites include:
- Dog bite
- Cuts and lacerations
- Bruises, abrasions, inflammation
- Eye injury
- Fracture
- Injury to facial nerves, muscles
- Amputation of partial amputation
- Crushing injury
Dog bites can also cause serious, long-term infections and other complications, including:
- Rabies
- Sepsis (infection of the blood)
- Tetanus
- Meningitis (brain tissue infection)
- Endocarditis (cardiac tissue infection)
Any of these injuries can generate costly medical expenses, as well as deep emotional scars that last a lifetime. Our lawyers will work to see that justice is served, and you are compensated for your losses. Call a dog bite lawyer serving Etobicoke today at 1-800-JUSTICE for a free legal consultation.
What to Do After Being Bitten by a Dog
After your dog bite, you might find yourself overwhelmed and at least a bit panicky, increasing the chance that you will do the wrong thing or forget to do something important. Here’s a little cheat sheet for you:
- The first step to take after your dog bite is to seek medical attention. It is very important that this happens as soon as possible after your attack, for several reasons. Most important, you need to have a doctor check the wound and treat it before it gets infected. If there is any indication that the dog may be sick, perhaps with rabies, it will be important to bring the dog to a veterinarian for testing, so that you can be treated accordingly.
- To facilitate this effort, you should also contact animal services and/or the police department in Etobicoke, being sure to give them a detailed description of the dog that bit you. If you have the name and/or contact details for the dog’s owner, give this information to the police.
- If you can, it will help your case if you are able to record names and contact info for any individual who witnessed the dog attack. While you are at it, snap a photo of your injury and jot down as many details of the attack as possible, including the date and time it occurred.
- Finally, find yourself a personal injury lawyer who can represent your claim and champion your right to receive compensation.
What a Dog Bite Lawyer Can Do for You
When you hire a personal injury lawyer to represent you in your quest for damages, they will handle all the steps required by Ontario law to establish the owner’s liability.
Although a dog’s owner is liable for their dog’s actions, regardless of negligence or fault, the compensation you receive might be reduced if you are not able to prove their fault or negligence in the attack.
For this reason, our legal team will investigate every aspect of the attack you endured, to soundly frame your case for maximum compensation.
Types of Recoverable Damages from a Dog Bite
As mentioned earlier, dog bites and attacks can lead to a wide range of injuries, many of them quite serious, requiring surgery and hospital stay, as well as recovery time during which you are not able to work. The emotional scarring also carries considerable value, and there are formulas for determining the value of this and other non-tangible damages.
Although the types of damages you may recover in your case depend upon the details of your incident and injuries, some of the types of damages for which you may be compensated include:
- Doctors’ fees
- Surgeons’ fees
- Prescription medicine
- Emergency transportation
- Private hospitalization
- Physical therapy
- Physical rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Lost benefits
- Replacement services
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Diminished enjoyment of life
Your Time to File a Legal Claim Is Limited
You may not feel like you have the energy at this moment to launch into the effort of taking a civil action against the owner of the dog who bit you. Understandably, as you recover from your injury, you want to rest, and the last thing you want to do is weigh yourself down with the burden of a legal fight.
But you should know that Ontario’s statute of limitations gives you only two years from the date you were bitten in which to file a claim.
When you hire Preszler Injury Lawyers to handle your case, we will lift this burden off your shoulders. We will do all the heavy lifting—the investigating, evidence gathering, negotiating, and fighting on your behalf. This leaves you to rest and recover as you should be doing.
Call a dog bite lawyer serving Etobicoke from Preszler Injury Lawyers at 1-800-JUSTICE to arrange for your free initial consultation.
