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Animal Attacks Dog Bites

Witnesses to a Dog Attack Can Help Prove Liability for a Dog Bite Injury

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Posted on 1/21/2009Do Georgia State Dog Laws Go Far Enough?

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Animal Attacks Dog Bites

Proving Dog Attack Liability When Filing a Claim

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Animal Attacks Dog Bites

Man’s best friend. A dog can be a loyal and trusted member of your family. Unfortunately, much more often than you might suspect, a dog attacks in its zeal to protect its owner or its perceived territory. Dog bite injuries and their psychological effects are often times devastating. Emergency medical attention, ongoing counseling, nerve damage, and permanent scars are often an unpleasant reality for victims. Georgia dog attack lawyers can help recover for those very real losses resulting from animal attacks to help offset past and future medical expenses, scarring and suffering inflicted by vicious animals.

Jason Schultz, P.C. protects the rights of dog bite victims and their families in cases of an Atlanta dog attack. Attorney Schultz has the expertise and dedication required to provide top quality legal representation. If you or a loved one has suffered injury as a result of dog bite, Atlanta dog bite attorneys can help. Contact Jason Schultz, P.C. immediately for a free review of your case.

Almost 2% of the nation’s population suffer serious injury from a dog attack each year. Between 10 - 20 people die from dog bites annually, most of them children. The statistics are sobering and staggering. Georgia dog attack lawyers like Jason Schultz P.C. are committed to bringing irresponsible dog owners to justice while representing the legal interests of dog bite victims.

Advocating for an injured child, Atlanta dog attack attorney Jason Schultz, P.C. will not harass or confront the dog owners, make them feel guilty, write threatening letters, embarrass them, foreclose on their home, drive them into bankruptcy, or have their dogs euthanized. At least, not unless one or more of those things is absolutely necessary, and never without the permission of the child's parents. If the parents want the lawyer to behave in a gentlemanly manner, then the case will be handled as instructed.

After the claim is over and paid by the insurance company, the dog owners will realize that it was their insurance company that did all the work and paid all the money. Any of their initial fear and anger will be gone. They will understand that you were trying to do what was in your best interest by hiring Jason Schultz P.C. and not trying to hurt them. Hiring Atlanta dog bite attorneys is not the same as suing. Jason Schultz P.C. knows how to present a case to an insurance company so that the claim gets resolved without it going to court. When the victim is a child, at least 98% of the cases settle out of court, without a trial. Therefore a parent who retains Jason Schultz P.C. is not making matters worse, but actually is ensuring that the claim will be handled more quickly and efficiently.

Georgia has a kind of hybrid liability for dog owners. If there is no leash law enacted by the city or county at the time of occurrence, then a modified "first bite" or "one bite" rule applies, even though the dog need not have necessarily bitten someone before as the victim can show that the animal had vicious propensities. In the case of Supan v. Griffin, 238 Ga. App. 404 (1999), a case involving a bite on the owner's premises, it was held that the true test of liability is the owner's "superior knowledge of his dog's temperament." Supan's dog had previously attacked a dog belonging to one Keller, and threatened the man with "bared fangs, vicious growls and attack behavior." There was no prior bite victim. Nevertheless, these facts were sufficient to establish a triable fact as to Supan's prior knowledge of his dog's vicious propensity.

If there is a "leash" law requiring the animal to be on a leash, at heel or confined, "vicious propensity" can be proven by simply showing that the animal was required to be at heel or on a leash by an ordinance of the city, county, or consolidated government, and the said animal was at the time of the occurrence not at heel or on a leash." For example, the local law might state that all dogs must be confined on the premises of the dog owner or must be on a leash when not on the owner's premises.

Here are some, but not all, of the dangerous dog laws of Georgia:

4-8-20.
This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Dangerous Dog Control Law."

4-8-21.
(a) As used in this article, the term:
(1) "Dangerous dog" means any dog that, according to the records of an appropriate authority:
(A) Inflicts a severe injury on a human being without provocation on public or private property at any time after March 31, 1989; or
(B) Aggressively bites, attacks, or endangers the safety of humans without provocation after the dog has been classified as a potentially dangerous dog and after the owner has been notified of such classification.
. . .
(6) "Potentially dangerous dog" means any dog that without provocation bites a human being on public or private property at any time after March 31, 1989.

4-8-23.
(a) Upon receiving a report of a dangerous dog or potentially dangerous dog within a dog control officer's jurisdiction from a law enforcement agency, animal control agency, rabies control officer, or county board of health, the dog control officer shall make such investigations and inquiries with regard to such report as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this article. Any local government shall be authorized but not required to provide by ordinance or resolution for additional duties of a dog control officer in identifying dangerous dogs or potentially dangerous dogs and their owners to carry out the provisions of this article.
(b) When a dog control officer classifies a dog as a dangerous dog or reclassifies a potentially dangerous dog as a dangerous dog, the dog control officer shall notify the dog's owner in writing by certified mail to the owner's last known address of such classification or reclassification. Such notice shall be complete upon its mailing.

4-8-24.
. . .
(b) When a dangerous dog or a potentially dangerous dog is classified as such, the dog control officer shall notify the dog's owner of such classification.
. . .

4-8-25.
(a) It is unlawful for an owner to have or possess within this state a dangerous dog or potentially dangerous dog without a certificate of registration issued in accordance with the provisions of this Code section.
. . .

4-8-30.
It is the intent of the General Assembly that the owner of a dangerous dog or potentially dangerous dog shall be solely liable for any injury to or death of a person caused by such dog.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured or killed in an animal or dog attack due to the negligence of another, contact The Law Offices of Jason R. Schultz P.C. at (404) 474-0804 or Toll Free (866) 455-4709 or email Jason Schultz at Jason@JasonSchultzPC.com for a consultation. By working with Georgia dog attack lawyers you can protect your best interests while seeking a fair settlement for your damages and losses.

For 18 years, The Law Offices of Jason Schultz P.C. has been recovering compensation for clients in the counties of Rockdale, Douglas, Gwinnett, Spalding, Cobb, Henry, Dekalb, Fulton, Clayton, Troup, Carroll, Fayette, and Coweta as well as in Atlanta, Tyrone, Stockbridge, Senoia, Roswell, Peachtree City, Newman, McDonough, Marietta, Lawrenceville, LaGrange, Jonesboro, Griffin, Fayetteville, Douglasville, Decatur, and Conyers.

The Law Offices of Jason Schultz P.C. – Small Enough to Care, Experienced Enough to Win.

Blog for Animal Attacks Dog Bites

Library for Animal Attacks Dog Bites:

Proving Dog Attack Liability When Filing a Claim
When filing a dog bite claim, you'll need the facts to prove dog attack liability. An Atlanta dog bite attorney can help collect various types of evidence.
Why Hire a Dog Bite Attorney in Atlanta
Hiring a dog bite attorney in Atlanta is important. The laws can be complex, for one, and some victims may not account for all of their current and future damages.
Jonesboro Dog Bite Attorney: Child Recovery after Dog Bite Injury (Part B)
A Jonesboro dog bite attorney can evaluate your right to pursue legal action. Review these tips on working through a child’s emotional trauma after a dog bite injury.
Jonesboro Dog Bite Attorney: Child Recovery after Dog Bite Injury (Part A)
Jonesboro dog bite attorney can explain legal options that may be available. Consider these tips on helping a child recover emotionally after a dog bite injury.
When it is Time to Contact a Bowden Child Injury Lawyer After a Dog Bite Attack in Georgia [Part B]
A Bowden child injury lawyer can help you take action after a dog bite in Georgia. For help with the Georgia dog bite law call 1-404-474-0804.
A Bowden Child Injury Lawyer Can Help You to Understand the Unexpected Costs of a Dog Bite in Georgia [Part A]
Looking for a Bowden child injury lawyer to explain Georgia’s dog bite law? If your child suffered a dog bite in Georgia call 1-404-474-0804.
When a Dog Bite Attack in Georgia Leaves Injuries (Part B)
After a dog bite attack in Georgia, surgery and counseling may be required. Talk to a Carroll County dog bite lawyer about pursuing compensation– 404-474-0804.
When a Dog Bite Attack in Georgia Leaves Injuries (Part A)
Dog bite attacks in Georgia can inflict serious harm and require extensive treatment. For legal advice, consult a Carroll County dog bite lawyer– 404-474-0804.
Steps to Take After a Dog Bite Attack in Forest Park, Georgia (Part B)
After a dog bite attack in Forest Park, Georgia, follow your doctor’s orders and discuss filing a claim with a Forest Park dog bite lawyer: 1-404-474-0804.
Steps to Take After a Dog Bite Attack in Forest Park, Georgia (Part A)
Seek medical attention after a dog bite attack in Forest Park, Georgia. To make a claim, talk to a Forest Park dog bite lawyer: 1-404-474-0804.
Factors That Lead to a Dog Attack in Georgia (part B)
A dog’s breed and training are both factors that can have an impact on whether a dog attack in Georgia may occur. For more information call the Law Offices of Jason Schultz P.C. to schedule a FREE consultation on your case – 404-474-0804.
Factors That Lead to a Dog Attack in Georgia (part A)
If you were seriously injured in a dog attack in Georgia you may be eligible to recover damages to help with the costs of recovery. For more information call the Law Offices of Jason Schultz P.C. to schedule a FREE consultation on your case – 404-474-0804.
Georgia's Dog Bite Laws Explained (Part A)
In Georgia, owners of dangerous pets are liable for the damages and injuries their dogs cause. If you or a loved one has been injured during a dog attack in Georgia, call the Law Offices of Jason Schultz P.C. to schedule a FREE consultation on your case – 404-474-0804.
Georgia’s Dog Bite Laws Explained (Part B)
Dog owners in Georgia are required to keep dangerous pets securely confined. If you or a loved one has been injured after a dog attack in Georgia, call the Law Offices of Jason Schultz P.C. to schedule a FREE consultation with Turin dog attack attorney – 404-474-0804.
When an Animal Attacks . . .
Dog Bite Questions Answered by Georgia Super Lawyer
Dog Bites
Georgia dog bite law is incredibly owner-friendly, requiring that owners have a knowledge of their dogs propensity to bite before holding them liable for their pets.