Raleigh Dog Bites Lawyer

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of Rottweilers, Dobermans, Pit Bulls and other larger breed dogs as people increasingly turn to dogs as friends and use them to protect their homes. While these breeds aren’t always the problem, this increase has resulted in a higher incidence of animal-inflicted injury. Larger and aggressively trained dogs are now more often in close contact with smaller children.

Serious Dog Bite Injury

If you have a dog bite injury, there are a number of things you must do.

• Take photos of your injuries.
• Get permission to evaluate the dog before it is either euthanized or given away. You should have the dog independently evaluated through specially designed tests as soon after the attack as possible to determine its behavior characteristics; this is important for both the plaintiff and the defendant.
• If possible, secure photos or videos of the dog to demonstrate its size, weight, and mannerisms.
• Talk to neighbors about the typical behavior of the dog and whether it was potentially dangerous – they may know if the dog gets out of the yard, if the owner allowed it to wander the streets, or if there were any prior attacks.
• Interview its veterinarian and review the medical records as to any prior aggressive or fearful behavior.
• Check with animal control as to whether or not the dog was a problem in the neighborhood or was ever picked up.
• Investigate the scene of the attack to see if corresponds with details relayed by all of the parties.
• Determine if the owner was negligent or if he or she had been a responsible owner.
• Check whether the dog was licensed, had all of its shots, wore a collar, was trained and whether the owner used abusive force with the dog.

Experienced Dog Attack Attorneys

Doing all those things is work, but your attorney can help. It is very important to hire an attorney as soon as possible after a dog bite injury. An experienced attorney can make sure there are no missed opportunities and help built a solid foundation of testimony by documenting the aggressive behavior and assuring that all relevant information is available at the time of trial.