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216-658-5500Call Us Today
Many people in the Youngstown area have enjoyable interactions with dogs regularly, whether they encounter them at the Austintown Bark Park, at friends’ or neighbors’ homes, or while walking through their neighborhoods. However, dogs may attack and bite unexpectedly, and it is vital to understand your legal options if this happens to you. An experienced Youngstown dog bite lawyer will be an invaluable asset for helping you pursue accountability.
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Rumizen Weisman Attorneys has a strong reputation as a leading choice for personal injury counsel for clients in Youngstown and the surrounding communities of Mahoning County. Our firm has successfully obtained more than $100 million in compensation for past clients, and we are ready to leverage this experience in your personal injury proceedings. You have a short time to build your case, so it’s crucial to reach out to legal counsel right away.
When you hire a dog bite lawyer at Rumizen Weisman Attorneys, you have a dedicated legal representative who can answer your questions and help you approach each new stage of your case with confidence and peace of mind. We have years of experience helping clients navigate their personal injury case proceedings efficiently and always strive to secure as much compensation as state law allows for our client’s damages.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) estimates that there are about 90 million dogs nationwide, and about 45% of homes in the US have at least one dog. About 4.5 million people suffer dog bites each year, and Ohio is one of the top ten states with the highest numbers of reported dog attacks. When a dog attacks, the victim may not only sustain injuries directly from the dog but also secondary injuries from hitting the ground.
The AVMA has also reported that children under the age of 12 account for nearly half of all dog bite injuries in the US. Every year, about 334,000 people are treated in US emergency rooms for dog bite injuries. If you or a loved one was bitten by someone else’s dog, it’s vital to understand the Ohio laws for filing a personal injury claim against the dog’s owner. A Youngstown dog bite attorney can build the foundation of your case and file it with the court correctly.
Most personal injury cases in Ohio result from acts of negligence, or failure to use reasonable care in specific situations. However, Ohio enforces a strict liability law for dog attacks. This means that if you or a loved one is injured by someone else’s dog, the dog’s owner is strictly liable for your damages, regardless of any negligence or whether the owner knew the dog had a history of aggression.
Your Youngstown dog bite attorney can help you assert strict liability. The victim in an Ohio dog bite claim simply needs to show that they were legally present wherever the attack happened and that they did not provoke the dog in any way. This may seem straightforward, but it’s a good idea to hire a dog bite lawyer as soon as possible after the incident so they can help you firmly establish the dog owner’s strict liability for your damages.
The purpose of any personal injury claim is for the injured plaintiff to establish liability for their injury and hold the defendant accountable for the damages they caused. In a dog bite claim, the plaintiff will likely have grounds to claim compensation for all medical expenses related to their injury as well as for the income they have been unable to earn because of the injury. They can also seek compensation for lost earning capacity if the attack left them permanently disabled.
Your Youngstown dog bite attorney can help you calculate the full scope of economic damages you are eligible to claim from the defendant, including future medical treatment costs and lost earning capacity if the attack resulted in any measure of permanent harm. You also have the right to claim monetary compensation for the physical pain and psychological distress you have experienced from the incident.
Dog attacks may result in painful physical injuries, some of which require extensive medical care and a long recovery time before the victim reaches maximum medical improvement. These incidents are also psychologically traumatic, and many victims struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress, anxiety, and various other mental health complications after these experiences. Your attorney can help you determine an amount that reflects your experience.
If you believe you have grounds to file a personal injury case in response to your recent dog attack in Youngstown, it’s crucial to hire a dog bite lawyer at your first opportunity to help you build your case. You must file the claim with the court within the statute of limitations. In Ohio, this time limit for most personal injury claims is two years, starting on the date the injury occurred. If you miss the deadline, your case will be dismissed regardless of its merits.
The right attorney can have a profound positive impact on the outcome of your personal injury case. Even though Ohio’s strict liability rule for dog bites may seem like it would simplify your case, you could still encounter various unexpected complications that you may not know how to resolve on your own. You also have a far better chance of obtaining appropriate compensation for your damages if you hire a dog bite lawyer to represent you.
Some personal injury claims in Ohio are resolved through pretrial settlement negotiations. This process can enable the parties involved to reach mutually acceptable terms in far less time than litigation would require. Settlement is usually much faster than litigation, but it requires the defendant to accept liability for the injury in question and for both parties to be willing to compromise on mutually acceptable terms.
Rumizen Weisman Attorneys has successfully settled more than 10,000 personal injury claims for clients throughout Ohio, but we are ready to represent you in litigation if necessary. In every case we accept, our goal is to guide our client through their case proceedings efficiently, reducing the time they must wait to receive the compensation they need to recover. Reach out to our firm as soon as possible to learn how we can assist with your case.
To establish strict liability in a dog bite case in Youngstown, you must prove that you were legally present at the location where the attack occurred and that you did not provoke the attack in any way. The strict liability law would not allow an intruder or trespasser on private property to file a civil claim for damages against the property owner if the property owner’s dog attacked them while they were illegally present on the property.
After a dog bites someone in Youngstown, Ohio law requires that the owner surrender the dog for a ten-day quarantine. During this quarantine, veterinary professionals will check to see if the dog carries rabies or any other infectious disease. After the evaluation, the dog is usually returned to its owner, but the court may order euthanasia for any dog deemed to pose a threat to public safety.
The value of a dog bite claim in Youngstown depends on the severity of the victim’s injuries. Your Youngstown dog bite attorney can help you calculate economic damages like medical bills, lost wages, and lost earning capacity, and they will also assist you with determining how much pain and suffering compensation would reasonably reflect the severity of the harm you have suffered.
The time it could take to settle a dog bite case in Youngstown depends on the severity of the victim’s damages, whether they have hired experienced legal counsel, and whether strict liability is disputed in any way. Your attorney can provide an estimate of your case’s most likely timetable and explain your options for resolving the case as efficiently as possible.
You should hire a dog bite lawyer to increase your chances of success with your case. Ohio’s strict liability law may seem simple enough, but the reality is that you could encounter various unexpected complications with your case that you will not be able to resolve on your own. Hiring a Youngstown dog bite lawyer dramatically improves your chances of reaching a favorable conclusion to your case.
The team at Rumizen Weisman Attorneys has an extensive record of successful personal injury counsel in Youngstown and throughout Mahoning County. We are confident we can help you hold a dog owner accountable for the damages their pet has caused, but it is crucial that you start building your case as soon as possible. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation with an experienced Youngstown dog bite lawyer you can trust.
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