Many dogs are friendly members of the family, but some become aggressive without provocation. When a dog bites a person, it can result in severe and painful injuries. A dog bite victim may need surgery to repair the wound and suffer permanent scarring or neurological damage. The bite may continue to cause pain and limit a victim’s ability to work and perform simple household tasks.
After a dog attack, you may have gone to the hospital in an ambulance and undergone one or more operations to repair the damage. Even if you received excellent care, you could suffer the effects of the bite for years, or possibly for the rest of your life.
You may have had to miss work for several days, weeks, or even months. The loss of income, on top of unexpected medical bills, may have your family struggling to make ends meet. You and your spouse may be unable to cover essentials, such as your mortgage, and trying to figure out what to do.
All this may have taken an extreme emotional toll. Suffering physical injuries and struggling financially because of a dog bite can devastate any family. On top of that, you may have psychological trauma because of the attack. The stress may have impacted your relationships with other members of your family.
A Joliet dog bite lawyer could help navigate this challenging time in your life. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm has represented clients across the United States who suffered severe injuries due to other people’s negligence. We can help you file a personal injury lawsuit against the owner of the dog that bit you. Call our office at (800) 614-2067 to discuss your case with a member of our staff.
How Illinois Dog Owners Can Protect Others from Harm
According to 510 ILCS 5/2.05a, a dangerous dog either poses a serious threat of severe injury or death to a person or one that, without justification, bites a person without causing severe injuries. Section 2.19b of the Illinois Animal Control Act defines a vicious dog as one that authorities have found acted like a dangerous dog on three separate occasions. Finally, 510 ILCS 5/2.11a requires the owner of a vicious dog to confine it in an enclosure at least six feet high and take other measures such as locking the enclosure and tethering the dog.
How a Joliet Dog Bite Lawyer Can Help You Seek Justice
The team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can investigate the circumstances surrounding the dog bite incident to determine an owner’s liability for your injuries. As long as you did nothing to provoke the animal and had a legal right to be on the property, 510 ILCS 5/16 establishes that an owner has liability for any injuries caused in the attack.
For example, it an owner took a dog for a walk and it bit you, or if the dog escaped from its enclosure and attacked you without provocation while you walked along a sidewalk, you can hold the owner accountable for any expenses related to the injuries you suffered in the attack.
Our team can interview you and any eyewitnesses who saw the dog bite you. Neighbors may inform us that the owner did not keep the dog confined or they saw it escape from its enclosure, bark, growl, or lunge at you. We could also find that a camera at a nearby home or business recorded the attack, providing independent evidence showing what happened.
The owner might argue that the dog had no history of aggressive behavior, but that cannot shield an owner from liability. Illinois follows the principle of strict liability in cases related to dog bites. Even if the dog had no history of biting, a Joliet dog bite lawyer could help you hold the owner liable for your injuries.
Our team can investigate the circumstances and work to hold the dog’s owner accountable. We might file a claim against the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance policy or a personal injury lawsuit to seek a financial award that covers your past and future medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
If we cannot negotiate a fair settlement, we will take your case to trial to seek justice and compensation for you. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to speak to a staff member about what happened to you and learn more about your legal options.
For a free legal consultation with a Dog Bites Lawyer serving Joliet, call (800) 794-0444
The Dog’s Owner May Try to Avoid Accepting Responsibility
The owner of the dog that bit you might claim that your actions led to the attack and that they are not liable for your injuries because of your provocation. The owner may claim that you trespassed on private property or triggered the attack by teasing their dog.
For instance, the owner may say that you shouted at the dog, hit the fence, or did something else that caused the animal to feel threatened. If the owner makes such an allegation, testimony from eyewitnesses or video of the attack could prove critical.
Joliet Dog Bites Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Contact a Joliet Dog Bite Lawyer
For more than 30 years, Pintas & Mullins Law Firm has helped clients across the United States pursue justice. We can fight to secure a financial award on your behalf.
If you worry about legal fees and think that you could not afford to hire an attorney, do not let that concern you. Our Joliet dog bite lawyers work on a contingency basis. That means that you will not have to pay us any money upfront to represent you. We will cover litigation costs ourselves, and our firm will only collect a fee if we negotiate a settlement or obtain a judgment in your favor.
You have a limited amount of time to act to seek compensation for your injuries. According to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations to file a personal injury lawsuit is two years from the date of injury. Call us today at (800) 614-2067 to get the process started with a free case review with one of our team members.
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