What to Do If You’ve Been Bitten by a Dog in New York

Hiring an Experienced Dog Bite Accident Attorney Is Critical to Having a Positive Outcome After a Dog Attack

Dog attacks can cause serious injuries with lasting damage. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, “Approximately 334,000 people are admitted to US emergency departments annually with dog bite-associated injuries, and another 466,000 are seen in other medical settings.” If you’ve been injured in a dog attack in New York, there are a number of actions that you should take to preserve your rights.

Seek Medical Attention

Calling 911 and seeking medical attention early is an important first step after being attacked by any dog in New York. Even if you feel as though your injuries are not significant, there are a number of inherent risks that come with being attacked by any dog.

• Dog bites can lead to serious infections.
• Dogs that have not been vaccinated may carry rabies.
• Bite wounds can lead to scarring and nerve damage.

It is important to follow any treatment plan that you’ve been given. This will usually include some round of antibiotics. Follow-up care is also important, especially considering the risk of infections and other complications.

Report the Incident

It’s always a good idea to notify various parties about the attack. They can create an official record of what happened, which may prove to be highly useful later on. You should consider reporting the incident to:

• Animal control
• Your local police department
• Your local health department

Reporting the incident is also important for public safety. It may help prevent other people from being attacked by the same dog in the future.

Gather Evidence Related to the Attack

Another important step after a dog bite is gathering all evidence related to the incident. What follows are just a few of the pieces of evidence you should collect.

• Take photos of any injuries that you may have sustained.
• Take photos of the dog involved in the incident, if possible.
• Collect the name and contact information of the dog’s owner, if possible.
• Collect any medical records related to injuries that you sustained.

Gathering evidence is an important part of pursuing any civil action down the road. It can be difficult to establish fault for any attack in the total absence of any police report or other evidence.

Understand Your Legal Options

In New York, a dog owner can be held liable if their animal attacks someone if the dog had a known history of aggressive behavior. For example, a dog may have bitten someone in the past. It is important for victims of dog bites in New York to understand that they do have options. They are able to pursue some measure of accountability through a personal injury claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering.

Contact an Experienced New York Dog Bite Injury Attorney

One of the most important steps you can take to preserve your health, rights, and financial well-being after a dog attack is to contact an attorney. There are many advantages that come with hiring an attorney after any dog attack.

• Free Case Evaluation: An attorney can evaluate the unique facts of your case free of cost and let you know if you have a claim that could be pursued.
• Investigation: An attorney can investigate your case and help identify all potentially liable parties.
• Negotiations: An attorney can handle all negotiations with the dog’s owner and their insurance provider.
• Maximizing Compensation: An attorney can help maximize the compensation that you receive through skilled legal representation.

One of the greatest advantages of hiring a personal injury attorney is that they work entirely on a contingency fee basis. They only get paid by the opposing parties if they are able to successfully resolve your case.

Getting Legal Help for Dog Bites in New York

We at GLK Law extend our best wishes to all of the people attacked by dogs across New York. As personal injury attorneys who have worked on many dog bite cases, we understand how difficult and traumatic these incidents can be. Our firm is dedicated to making sure that all of these victims get the support and justice that they are entitled to.

Have you or someone you care about been attacked by a dog in New York? You may be entitled to significant financial compensation. Our team of New York dog bite attorneys is here to assist you. We can investigate the unique facts of your case free of cost and let you know if you have a viable claim that can be pursued. Whether you just have legal questions or are thinking about hiring an attorney, we are here to serve your needs. You can contact us anytime at (516) 908-9792.