South Jersey Dog Bite Attorneys

Are You Suffering From Dog Bite Injuries? Discuss Your Case With Our Team Today

Most dogs are wonderful companions, and many dog owners consider their four-legged friends to be part of the family. Unfortunately, not all dogs are friendly, and not all dog owners are responsible. Dogs may be known as “man’s best friend,” but they are still animals, with an animal’s instinct to protect itself and fight back against a perceived threat or sign of aggression. When dogs are allowed to roam free, or a dog owner fails to prevent his or her dog from causing harm, the law allows dog bite victims to receive compensation for their injuries.

At Rosner Law Offices, P.C. our New Jersey dog bite lawyers help dog bite victims and their families get the money they need to pay their medical bills, replace lost wages, and cover the cost of other damages. Our legal team has helped hundreds of clients throughout the state. Contact our team today to request a free consultation with one of our lawyers.

New Jersey Dog Bite Law

Like many other states, New Jersey has a “strict liability” law when it comes to dog bites. This means dog owners can be held responsible for injuries caused by their dogs, even in cases where the dog never acted viciously in the past. The strict liability statute applies in cases where the dog attacks a person in a public place, as well as cases in which the dog bites someone on the dog owner’s property.

The Serious Injuries Caused by Dog Bites

Dogs are the most popular domesticated animal in the world, and up to 47 percent of American homes have a dog. Dogs are such a common feature of everyday life, it’s easy to forget how dangerous they can be. The reality is that dogs are capable of inflicting serious and even fatal injuries.
In fact, there are about 4.5 million dog bite injuries in the U.S. every year. Children are more likely than adults to suffer a dog bite injury, with children between the ages of five and nine at the highest risk of being bitten by a dog.
In our New Jersey dog bite practice, we handle a wide range of devastating dog bite injuries. Although dog bite injuries range in severity, some of the most serious injuries include:

• Amputations
• Nerve damage
• Puncture wounds
• Rabies disease
• Organ damage
• Lacerations

In the most serious cases, a dog bite victim must undergo cosmetic surgery to repair the damage inflicted by a dog. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infection is also a serious risk in dog bite cases, with one in five dog bites becoming infected. Victims face life-threatening infections, such as Colostrum tetani, which produces the tetanus toxin and can quickly cause paralysis and death. Dog bite injury victims can also contract MRSA, which is a deadly staph infection notorious for being resistant to many types of antibiotics.

Dog bite victims can also suffer lasting emotional and mental damage. According to Dr. Larry Schmitt, a pediatric psychiatrist, children are much more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder following a dog attack. In many children with dog bite-related PTSD, symptoms including excessive anxiety, irritability, depression, sleep disturbances, and poor performance in school. For these young victims, being attacked by a dog is akin to an adult being set upon by a bear. From a child’s perspective, the dog is much more massive than an adult would perceive it.