Beware of Dogs! - News-and-Society

By : Rainier Policarpio
“Every year, more than a dozen victims of dog attacks die in the United States… and most are children”

According to the statistics, there about four million people who are attacked by dogs each year and a little below one million of them are brought to the hospitals or clinics for proper medical attention. More than a dozen of these victims die due to the severity of the attack and most of them are children. Because of these scenarios, the people have carried out several measures in order to prevent these incidents from happening to their families.

The following are some important facts and tips that may help you avoid dog attacks:

 All dogs are capable of biting either provoked or not so stay away from them as much as possible especially from those stray dogs.
 A mother dog, protecting its puppies, is even more dangerous so do not try to get the puppies away from its mother.
 Never try to get near a dog that is eating, it might think that you are going to get its food.
 Dogs are irritable in loud noises so maintain silence whenever you encounter dogs on the street.
 Play with your dogs only if an adult is present.
 Avoid teasing dogs.
 Avoid running away, shouting or screaming.
 Avoid making an eye-to-eye contact with dogs.
 Never enter a property that has a dog warning sign unless the owner ensures your safety.
 If the dog attacked you, protect your head and face as much as you can.
Under the California law, the victims of dog attacks may file charges against the owner or handler of the misbehaving dogs. However, they must prove that they have not teased or provoked the dogs or illegally entered the premises of the dog owner. The law also affirmed that the “free bite rule” should not apply in dog attack cases. Hence, the victims may file their claims even if it is the first instance that the dog has bitten a person.
If ever you were injured in a dog attack, you may follow these as well:
 Identify the dog that attacked you and seek immediate medical treatment since dog rabies is fatal.
 Do not engage in any contention with the dog owner. This will not result to anything positive.
 Do not sign any agreement without the presence of your dog bite attorney. You may not fully understand what is written on the document. Most dog owners and insurance companies will try to offer the victims with unfair proposals or settlements.
 Report the incident to the police even if your injury is not that serious. The police report can be used as evidence in case that the injury got worse in the future.
 Consult your legal counsel. A personal injury attorney who specializes in dog bite laws can guide you in recovering monetary damages from the dog owner’s insurance company. Most unrepresented claimants were given low settlements since they do not have the understanding of the laws.

Our Los Angeles Personal Attorneys are expert in handling dog bite cases.