Paducah Dog Bite Lawyer

Kentucky takes dog bite cases seriously and has strict regulations for them. If someone in your family was bitten by a dog, it’s important to know what options are available, including how to get compensation by filing an injury claim. A lawyer can help provide guidance through the process and make sure that you get all of the necessary compensation you deserve for your injuries.

The attorneys at Bryant Law Center P.S.C. have the experience you need to negotiate and litigate dog bite claims against negligent dog owners to successfully recover compensation for your injuries.

We know how to navigate the intricacies of Kentucky’s dog bite laws that may limit our clients’ chances of recovery so that they can get the compensation needed to cover medical bills, lost wages, and other losses.

Our dedicated staff of Paducah personal injury lawyers is dedicated to handling Kentucky personal injury cases — something that gives our law firm a unique advantage over bigger firms that merely have satellite offices in Paducah.

If you were injured by a dog bite, our Paducah attorneys may be able to help you recover compensation for your losses. To get in contact with an attorney to learn more, just fill out our free case evaluation form today and we’ll be in touch with you shortly!

Ways an Attorney Can Help You in a Dog Bite Lawsuit

Dog bites aren’t something to take lightly. A dog bite injury can cause extensive damage and you may need to seek long-term medical care. Common injuries from dog bites include:

• Disfiguring scars
• Laceration and puncture wounds
• Infection
• Blood loss
• Nerve damage, loss of sensation, diminished and/or total loss of function
• Broken or crushed bones from the dog bite attack or from falling over
• Emotional trauma
• Permanent disability
• Death

The cost of treating these sorts of injuries can add up quickly. This is where our Paducah legal team may be able to help get you compensation. And not just for medical bills either — if your injury prevents you from being able to work, our attorneys will fight to get you compensation for lost wages as well.

In Paducah, our attorneys may do the following to help you build a solid claim:

• Investigation of the incident. Dog bite cases need to be acted on quickly. Bites involving animals must be reported and if the dog hasn’t been vaccinated for rabies, it must be quarantined. We’ll gather evidence to assess things like the location the attack took place, whether any required licensing for the dog existed, whether or not any warning signs were properly posted, whether the dog exhibited any dangerous behavior in the past.
• Information gathering. We’ll stay in touch with you along the way, staying up to date on your injury to see how you’re healing. This will typically involve reviewing your medical records — these will often provide us with more evidence we can use to help your case.
• Negotiation & Litigation. We’ve been doing this for a while. We always try to get you the best settlement we can for your case. We have the experience needed to negotiate verdicts & settlements on your behalf and go to trial if we need to.

Why You Should Hire a Dog Bite Attorney

It is generally straightforward to recover compensation for damage inflicted by a dog, not least because the law provides that dog owners should be held responsible for any harm their dog causes.

Complications can arise though. Consulting with an experienced attorney can help you navigate the complicated legal issues that arise after a dog bite. If it’s suggested that you may be partly responsible for the dog bite and injuries resulting from it, our attorneys can help you contend with that too.

In most cases, you have one year from the date of the animal attack to file a lawsuit in Kentucky (there may be extensions to file if the injury involves a child). An experienced Paducah personal injury attorney will know how to help you in your own unique situation — we recommend you consult with a lawyer as quickly as you can if you or a loved one is attacked by a dog.

Who’s Liable in a Dog Bite Incident?

Kentucky law enforces strict liability. This means that when a dog is responsible for damage or injury to a person, livestock, or other property, the owner is financially responsible for that damage.

Liability can extend to a dog’s owner, fellow dog owners in the vicinity, and careless third-party individuals as well. For example, if the landlord has knowledge that the tenant has a dog on the property, they may also be liable. Additionally, if a landlord is aware of a dog on the premises that poses an injury threat to other tenants, they owe those tenants a duty of care to protect them.

ELI5: If someone has a dog, they can be liable for it. If a landlord knows that there is a dog on the property, they could also be liable. This means that the landlord has a responsibility (a duty) to protect other people who live there from a dog if they know it could hurt or injure them.

What Kind of Compensation Can I Get I’m Attacked by a Dog?

People injured due to a dog bite may be eligible for compensation for present and future medical expenses, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, veterinary bills, property damage, and pain and suffering.

For example:

• Medical expenses can include things like ambulance services, visits to the emergency room, hospitalization, surgery, diagnostic imaging, lab tests, medication for pain, as well as expenses you incur traveling back and forth for these things.
• If an injury requires multiple corrective or reconstructive surgeries or causes a permanent disability or condition that requires ongoing medical treatment and higher medical bills, you may be eligible to receive compensation for estimated future medical expenses.
• Expenses for mental health services. For example, it’s common for children victims to get help overcoming the trauma of being attacked.
• Lost wages if you have to take time off from work as a result of the injury, hospitalization, and recovery.
• If you cannot return to work due to the injury, you may be eligible for compensation for estimated future lost wages.
• Pain and suffering.
• Emotional distress.
• Loss of consortium with a spouse if applicable.
• Scarring and disfigurement include things like the loss of a finger, toe, or limb (or even permanent scarring) due to the injury.
• Punitive damages are warranted if the owner intentionally lets their dog attack someone. This is very serious and if you believe this may have been the case, it is very important that you consult with an attorney.

Contact a Paducah Dog Bite Lawyer for a Free Consult

Contact us today and find out if our Paducah dog bite attorneys can help you. We operate on a contingency-fee-basis for things like dog bite cases. This means there’s no upfront cost to you to work with us and you only pay if we are able to win your case and recover compensation for you.