Are you a victim of a dog bite injury in New Jersey?
Dog owners can and should be held accountable for the actions of their dogs, especially when they bite or injure an innocent party. If you have been the victim of a dog attack, allow an experienced New Jersey Dog Bite Attorney to fight for the compensation you deserve. Regardless of whether you are a dog lover or not, the simple fact of the matter is not every dog is friendly, never mind safe to have in public. According to statistics released by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), there are over 4.5 million dog bites in the US every single year. If left untreated, 20% of these bites become infected. Dog bites are never something that you should take lightly. Injuries or infections can and do lead to lifelong problems. Thankfully, you have the right to pursue compensation for your injuries. A New Jersey dog bite lawyer at The Law Offices of David A. DiBrigida can fight for your right to fair compensation from the dog owner. Liability in New Jersey Dog Bite Cases
New Jersey, like most other US states, holds the owner of a dog legally liable when their animal bites or injures another individual. Certain criteria that have to be met to receive compensation are as follows:- The responsible party’s dog will indeed have to have bitten the injured party.
- The injury must have taken place at either a private venue or a public space where are the wounded party was authorized to have been at the time.
No One-Bite rule in New Jersey
The state of New Jersey no longer uses the “one bite rule” to determine liability. In the past, as with other states, a dog’s owner could only be held responsible if they had prior knowledge of their dog being aggressive. New Jersey, a “strict liability state” has now replaced this statute; this means that all dog owners will be held responsible for the actions of their dogs from their very first bite.New Jersey Dog Bites Statute of Limitations
Dog bite cases in New Jersey have a statute of limitations of two years. If you have injuries that showed up later as a consequence of the dog bite, you have one year from the date of discovery with which to file a claim. In our experience, you do not want to wait too long before pursuing compensation. Visibility to any injuries as well as how recent the event is can impact the level of compensation you receive.Damages From a Dog Bite
Unfortunately, many dog bite cases result in injuries that stretch far beyond scrapes and cuts. In many cases, people suffer emotional, financial, as well as physical impacts on their lives. For 28 years, we have been able to seek damages for people in New Jersey who have suffered dog attacks, which include the following.- Loss of earnings due to the inability to work
- Medical expenses and bills
- Suffering and pain
- Psychological and emotional distress
- Loss of ability to enjoy life