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New York Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Helps You Understand Your Legal Rights If You Have Been Bitten by a Dog

In an earlier blog entry we explained how to avoid being bitten if you are approached by an unfamiliar dog and what to do if the dog attacks to try to keep the dog bite injuries as minimal as possible.  In this entry I want to talk a little bit about your legal rights if you have been bitten by a dog because many people are unaware as to what their rights are against a negligent dog owner who attacks.

First, before I get into the legal side of things, if you have been bitten or attacked by a dog the first thing you will want to do, if possible, is to wash your wounds with warm soapy water and also seek professional medical attention.  You should then apply pressure to the wound with a clean towel to stop the bleeding and then keep the wounded area, if possible, above your heart to minimize the bleeding.  You should also seek medical attention either from a hospital or from your doctor.  A medical professional will take preventative measures to make sure your wounds do not become infected and to make sure you are protected if the dog had rabies by giving you a tetanus shot if you have not had one in the past 5 years. 

Here are things that will help you to have a stong case against the dog owner:

• As for the legal side of being bit by a dog it will somewhat tie in with the medical side.  One of the most important things that you can do it you have been severely injured due to negligence is to make sure you get seen by a medical professional whether it be a hospital or your family doctor it is important that you have proof that you had to get medical attention due to the dog attack.  The notes from the doctors and nurses will help support your case by describing exactly what type of wounds you had, where and how severe they were.   
• Remember what the dog looked like.  It is very important that you try to remember to the best of your ability the size, breed and color of the dog.  If you need to write it down once you are able to so that you do not forget little details about the dog that you may remember.
  
• If the owner is identifiable (i.e. you saw the owner with the dog or you know the person who owns the dog) get the owners information such as their name, address and also write down their description for your own personal record of being able to identify them. 
  
• Report the dog to the local authorities so they are aware of the situation that occurred and so that the incident can be documented and the proper action can be taken against the dog.
  
• Speak with a New York dog bite lawyer. Speaking with a dog bite lawyer will allow you to understand the rights you have as far as starting a lawsuit against the dog's owner is concerned. The attorney will be able to describe to you based on your situation if you have a dog bite lawsuit case and if so how much your case is worth.
  

If you would like more information about dog bite injuries and dog attack lawsuits in New York call 800.976.4904 or fill out our contact form.