Dog Bite Injury Attorneys Serving Cincinnati and Other Areas of Ohio
A Cincinnati dog bite lawyer at Colombo Law can help you pursue compensation for your injuries and damages following a dog attack. Dog bites can happen in the blink of an eye, turning a normal day into a life-changing event and leaving you unsure about what to do next.
If you have been bitten by a dog, it is important to explore your legal rights and options as soon as possible. Colombo Law has the knowledge and experience to handle your claim effectively.
As with all personal injury claims, dog bite cases generally involve going up against an insurance company. Trying to handle the matter on your own can result in you receiving far less than you deserve—or nothing at all.
Don’t lose the opportunity to obtain fair compensation for a dog bite injury. Call Colombo Law at 513-599-8841 today for a FREE case review with a Cincinnati dog bite lawyer.
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Common Dog Bite Injuries
The power of a dog’s bite depends on its size, breed, and age. Larger breeds—such as German shepherds, rottweilers, and pit bulls—can cause devastating injuries with their bites.
Injuries that may be caused by a dog bite include:
- Puncture Wounds
- Lacerations
- Broken Bones
- Nerve Damage
- And More
Anyone who is bitten by a dog should seek medical attention as soon as possible. This is especially true if the bite breaks the skin or leads to significant bleeding.
How Are Dog Bites Treated?
The treatment for dog bites depends on the severity of the bite. Victims may require stitches, surgery, and, in the worst cases, hospitalization. Dog bite injuries can also lead to infections such as rabies, tetanus, pasteurella, and MRSA, all of which can be life-threatening.
Beyond the immediate injury and treatment, dog bites can also result in long-term challenges. These may include permanent scarring and disfigurement, which—combined with the trauma of the dog bite itself—can lead to long-term emotional and psychological challenges. Dog bite victims may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and persistent fear as a result of a dog attack.
Dog bites can also lead to cynophobia, which is an overwhelming fear of dogs. For those who used to love dogs, it can be an extremely frustrating and depressing condition. It may even make neighborhood walks terrifying, as normal encounters with dogs may result in extreme anxiety.
What to Do After a Dog Bite
It can be difficult to think clearly in the aftermath of a dog bite. However, it is important to take steps immediately to preserve your rights.
Our dog bite attorneys recommend that you do the following after an attack:
1. Seek Medical Attention
As mentioned above, the first thing you should always do as soon as possible after a dog bite is receive the medical care you need. Doing so is not only the best thing you can do for your personal health and well-being—especially considering that even a minor bite could lead to a serious infection—it might also play an important factor in your dog bite case.
If you fail to get appropriate medical attention for your injuries, the defendant and/or the insurance company may later argue that your injuries were not as serious as you claim.
2. Getting Information for the Dog and Its Owner
Get the owner’s name and contact information, including address and phone number. Ideally, you should also obtain insurance information from the owner (dog bites are generally covered by homeowners insurance), as well as information about the dog (e.g., is it vaccinated for rabies?)
If there were any witnesses to the attack, get their information as well. Witness testimony can support your claim.
3. Documenting Your Injury
Take photographs of your injury, as well as the location where the attack occurred.
4. Reporting the Attack
Reporting a dog bite creates a record of the incident. In and around Cincinnati, dog bites should be reported online or by phone to the Hamilton County Public Health Environmental Health Division.
5. Speak to a Dog Bite Lawyer
Insurance companies will try to pay as little as possible following a dog bite. A Cincinnati dog bite lawyer can take on the insurer and fight to obtain the maximum compensation you deserve.
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When Is the Owner Liable for a Dog Bite?
Ohio is a strict liability state when it comes to dog bites. This means that, generally speaking, an “owner, keeper, or harborer of a dog” is liable for any injury, death, or loss caused by the dog, according to Section 955.28 of the Ohio Revised Code.
There are, however, a couple of exceptions to the law. If a dog bites someone who is trespassing or committing a crime or if someone is “teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog,” then the owner may not be held liable for a dog bite.
The law does point out, however, that if a dog bites a door-to-door salesperson or someone else on their property for “other solicitations,” the owner would be held liable for the dog bite.
Do I Need a Dog Bite Lawyer?
While the laws in Ohio are relatively straightforward when it comes to liability for dog bites, there are certainly times when it makes sense to hire a dog bite lawyer. Generally speaking, the more serious your injuries are, the more you should consider hiring an attorney to handle your case.
There are a couple primary reasons for this:
- Expenses are higher: If your injuries are serious, it is more likely that you will incur significant medical bills to treat your injuries. You may be facing bills for an emergency room visit, surgery, ongoing treatment, and more. This means recovering the maximum compensation you need and deserve for your damages is critical.
- The opposition is greater: Because of the significant expenses brought on by serious dog bites, the insurance company is more likely to fight back to avoid paying compensation.
Having an attorney on your side during this process can be a huge benefit to your case. Not only can a dog bite lawyer help you navigate the complexity of the legal system, but they can also handle the legwork of preparing your case, collecting evidence, negotiating with insurance companies and other parties, and—if necessary—representing you at trial.
He’s there with you the whole time. He took us by the hand and told us what would happen. He was right.
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Not only is Dino a great attorney but more importantly he is a great human being. He went above and beyond for our family during a very difficult time in our lives. He and his staff answered any and all concerns that we had and kept in close contact with us throughout this very troubling time in our family. We can’t thank Dino and staff enough.
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We had contacted Dino because we knew that there was wrongdoing in the company. Something needed to be done not just for our family, but to help prevent it.
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I wouldn’t have known which way to turn or what to do but there was no worry, Dino took care of it.
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How Much Money Can You Get from a Dog Bite?
How much compensation you are able to recover for a dog bite injury depends entirely on the specifics of your situation. But it is important to understand how this figure is typically calculated.
First and foremost, you can recover compensation for economic damages (such as medical bills), non-economic damages (such as pain and suffering), and punitive damages. Let’s take a closer look at each:
- Economic damages: While medical bills are often the most significant type of economic damages, you may be entitled to recovery of other financial losses. For example, if you had to miss work because of a dog bite injury, you may be able to recover compensation for lost wages. You also need to make sure to calculate the long-term costs of the dog bite. For example, if you require ongoing treatment, those additional medical costs should also be factored into your demand for compensation.
- Non-economic damages: Non-economic damages are intended to compensate injury victims for the physical, emotional, and psychological damage caused by dog bites. This could be related to the shame and embarrassment caused by scarring, the fear experienced when you now encounter dogs, or the physical pain you experienced as a result of your injuries. Any way that the dog bite has impacted your quality of life should be calculated as part of the non-economic damages.
- Punitive damages: Punitive damages are rarely awarded, but they can be significant. Unlike economic and non-economic damages, punitive damages are less about the victim than the liable party. They are intended to punish defendants who “demonstrate malice or aggravated or egregious fraud” (see Ohio Revised Code § 2315.21) in an effort to discourage them and others from similar acts.
Tragically, dog attacks can also result in fatalities. If someone you love died as a result of a dog attack, compensation may be recovered through a wrongful death claim.
You should rely on your dog bite lawyer to help you calculate how much you may be able to recover in compensation. An experienced attorney will take all of your losses into account and seek maximum recovery through a settlement or, if necessary, a trial award.
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Live ChatHow Long Do I Have to Make a Claim?
If you are planning to pursue compensation for a dog bite, you should begin the process as soon as possible. In Ohio, you generally have just 2 years from the date of the attack to file a lawsuit against the dog owner.
While this might sound like a lot of time, there are a couple of reasons you should not wait:
- Evidence could be lost: In the span of 2 years (or less), it may be difficult to gather all of the evidence and information necessary to prepare a strong case. The owner, in response to the attack, may no longer own the dog, which could add another layer of complexity.
- Building a strong case takes some time: While getting started as soon as possible can help your dog bite attorney make the strongest case possible, doing so still takes time. We will need to gather evidence, interview witnesses, file the necessary paperwork, negotiate with insurance companies or other parties, and more.
Bottom line: If you think you have a dog bite case, do not wait to get started.
Contact a Cincinnati Dog Bite Lawyer Today
Navigating the complexities of a dog bite case is no small matter, especially when you need to focus your time and attention on getting better. At Colombo Law, we are here to help.
Our attorneys are passionate about defending the rights of personal injury victims. We draw upon extensive experience, knowledge, and resources to fight for maximum compensation on behalf of our clients.
We make each client a No Fee Promise. That means you pay nothing for the initial consultation, and you don’t pay any fees until we obtain a favorable result on your behalf.
If you or someone you love has been bitten by a dog, call 513-599-8841 to speak to a dog bite lawyer for FREE today. Colombo Law serves clients in Cincinnati and nearby areas of Ohio.
