The Steps to Take after a Dog Bite in New Jersey

The shock and terror that comes with being attacked by someone else’s dog can leave you in a state of confusion – with no idea regarding how best to proceed. The losses associated with a serious dog bite can be considerable, which makes bringing your strongest dog bite claim important to your ability to fully recover. In a situation this challenging, having an experienced New Jersey dog bite lawyer in your corner is always in your best interest. 

Seeking Medical Attention: What to Do After a Dog Bite in New Jersey

The most important first step you can take after being attacked by someone else’s dog is to seek the immediate medical attention that you need. 

When to Seek Medical Care

The Mayo Clinic shares that immediate medical attention is called for when any of the following apply:

• You aren’t sure how serious the bite is.
• The animal’s teeth clearly punctured your skin.
• Your skin is torn, crushed, or bleeding – all of which are common to dog bites. 
• You are experiencing increased redness, swelling, pain, or oozing – all of which are signs that the wound may be dangerously infected.
• You aren’t sure if the dog’s been vaccinated for rabies. 
• You haven’t had a tetanus shot in 5 years – if the wound appears serious – or in 10 years – if the wound appears less so.

Risk Factors

It’s important to keep all the following risk factors in mind in relation to dog bites:

• Dog bites are highly susceptible to infection and scarring.
• When a dog bite is on the hand, which is common, it can lead to complex challenges related to range of motion and ease of movement. 
• A dog bite on the face can be permanently disfiguring.
• Dog bite wounds tend to be more like jagged tears than cuts, which makes them slower to heal and more likely to cause serious scarring. 

Treatment

Treatment for dog bite wounds can include all the following:

• Wound irrigation
• Treatment with antibiotics
• Stitches to close the wound
• Wound dressings
• Surgery and aftercare – for serious injuries

Reporting the Incident: Who to Notify after a Dog Bite in New Jersey

If someone else’s dog bites and injures you or someone you love, it’s important to take the matter very seriously. After seeking the medical attention that you need to address your recovery, it’s important to alert the authorities. Doing so can help to ensure that the dog in question doesn’t go on to harm anyone else, which makes it worthy of your effort. 

Your Local Health Department

If you are bitten by a dog that’s not your own, ​​the New Jersey Department of Health advises you to do both the following as soon as possible:

• Obtain the medical attention that you need
• Notify your local health department

By notifying the health department, you instigate a process that is designed to ensure the dog’s rabies vaccinations are current. While rare, dogs can carry rabies, and notifying the authorities diminishes this threat. Further, when you alert the authorities – you draw their attention to an animal that may pose a larger threat in terms of attacking others. 

One-Bite Laws

Some states basically give dog owners the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their pets by implementing one-bite laws that put pet owners on warning after their dogs have bitten someone – or have otherwise shown their propensity for aggression – a first time. This is not the case, however, in New Jersey. A dog owner can be held liable for the damages their pet causes in an attack, even if the dog showed no inclination toward aggression in the past. Nevertheless, reporting your bite to the health department provides it with important information to take whatever precautions it deems necessary in relation to keeping the public at large safe. 

Documenting the Injury: Gathering Evidence After a Dog Bite in New Jersey

If a dog attack leaves you injured, obtaining fair compensation that covers your complete physical, financial, and emotional losses is key. This makes building your strongest claim paramount, and the strength of your claim will hinge upon the strength of your evidence.

The Elements of Your Claim

In order to bring a successful dog bite claim in the State of New Jersey, you must establish three primary elements, including:

• The party whom you accuse of being at fault is the owner of the dog in question.
• The dog bit and injured you.
• You were either in a public place or were lawfully in a private place at the time of the bite. 

In other words, the only time you wouldn’t be legally protected in relation to a dog bite is if you were illegally trespassing at the time of the attack. Provoking a dog to react aggressively can also mitigate the dog owner’s liability. These circumstances, however, are rare.

Evidence and Your Claim

The more convincing the supporting evidence, the stronger your claim will be, and such evidence can take all of the following forms:

• Eyewitness testimony
• Any photos or videos captured at the scene of the attack
• Your related medical records
• Photos of your wounds in the wake of the attack
• Your doctor’s testimony
• The testimony of experts in the field of dog attacks
• An accounting of your emotional pain and suffering, which can include the testimony of those closest to you
• An accounting of your losses as they relate to your income, including pay stubs and information related to any lost earning potential as a result of your injuries

Overall Legal Damages

The evidence in your claim will be used not only to demonstrate the dog owner’s liability but also to catalog your losses – or legal damages – which fall into three primary categories. 

Medical Bills

The medical bills associated with a serious dog bite can be considerable and ongoing. Dangerous infections are very common to dog bites, which can make the healing process take considerably longer than it otherwise would. Further, when dog bites affect delicate jointed areas, such as the hands, wrists, or ankles, the physical impairments often require long-term care that can include intensive physical and occupational therapy. 

Lost Income

A dog bite can interfere with your ability to do your job, and when it does, it comes with a hefty price tag. When a dog bite reduces your overall earning power or thwarts the trajectory of your career, the financial effects are that much more severe. 

Pain and Suffering

The physical and emotional pain and suffering associated with being attacked by an unknown dog can be difficult to overstate. Many victims of such attacks experience PTSD-like symptoms that can leave them with an immense fear of dogs generally, and that can impede their ability to continue enjoying the outdoors. 

Contacting an Attorney: Why You Need Legal Help after a Dog Bite in New Jersey

The most important step you can take – after seeking medical care – in response to a dog bite in New Jersey is reaching out for the professional legal guidance of a dedicated dog bite attorney. The fact is that, without the compensation to which you are entitled, regaining your health and well-being can be out of reach, and without legal counsel on your side, obtaining that compensation becomes less likely. 

In pursuit of your claim’s most favorable resolution, your seasoned dog bite lawyer will skillfully engage in all the following:

• Gathering and meticulously compiling all the evidence relevant to your claim
• Crafting your strongest claim – making it far more difficult for the involved insurance company to deny 
• Helping you successfully navigate the claims process and make the right decisions for you along the way
• Helping you to avoid the pitfalls that are most likely to trip up claimants in dog bite cases, including being bullied into making claim-damaging statements by insurance companies and inadvertently posting claim-damaging photos and comments on social media
• Assessing your complete damages and knowledgeably advocating for a settlement that fairly addresses them
• Preparing to take your case to trial – in the face of stalled negotiations on the part of the insurance company

To learn about the many things we can assist with in your case, it is best to reach out for a free case evaluation. We can assess your situation and advise you what to expect following your dog bite injury. 

An Experienced New Jersey Dog Bite Liability Lawyer Is on Your Side

Being attacked by someone else’s dog is often as terrifying as it is dangerous, and the losses you suffer as a result can be overwhelming. David J. Cowhey is a formidable dog bite liability attorney at the New Jersey Dog Bite Lawyer who understands the gravity of your situation and has the experience and resources to help. 

Because obtaining fair compensation is pivotal to your ability to recover, our trusted legal team is committed to focusing the full scope of its imposing legal insight in pursuit of your claim’s best possible resolution. For more information about what we can do for you, please reach out to us through our online form or call us at (866) 259-4377 today.