South Jersey Dog Bite Lawyer

Dogs might be man’s best friend, but they are also animals with sharp teeth and motives we cannot always anticipate or understand. Between four and five million people suffer dog bite injuries requiring medical attention each year in the US, including in New Jersey. The South Jersey dog ​​bite injury lawyers at Grungo Law have successfully recovered compensation for victims of serious dog bite injuries for decades by holding dog owners responsible for their pet’s actions regardless of whether or not the dog had a history of biting. 

New Jersey law follows the strict liability statute for dog owners that doesn’t require a dog to have a history of previous biting. In New Jersey, dog bite victims do not have to prove negligence in a dog bite claim, but only that they were bitten by the dog while on public property or while legally on private property. Still, dog bite claims are often difficult to navigate successfully and require diligent investigation and documentation. A pet owner’s property liability insurance covers a claim for compensation for dog bite injuries, but insurers often dispute claims. Don’t take on a legal claim alone while recovering from the pain and trauma of a dog attack in South Jersey. Call the South Jersey dog ​​bite lawyers at Grungo Law today for a free consultation so we can move forward with prompt attention to your case.

Why Choose Grungo Law for Your Dog Bite Attorneys in South Jersey?

The South Jersey personal injury lawyers at Grungo Law have decades of experience navigating injury claims for injured and traumatized dog bite victims. We are a team of dedicated advocates with deep compassion for the impacts of a dog attack on the victim. We are ready to navigate the legal aspects of your case, while you work on recovering your physical and emotional health. Grungo Law is ready to provide the following advantages in your case:

• A free case consultation and no fees until we secure your compensation
• A strong local reputation for success with a track record of winning over $135 million for injured clients in South Jersey
• Dedicated client advocates who combine the latest technology for investigation with knowledgeable legal counsel and local resources for our client’s advantage
• Personalized attention with a strategy tailored specifically for the best possible outcome in your unique case

The dog bite lawyers at Grungo Law are ready to formulate a well-executed plan to maximize your compensation for damages like medical costs and lost income.

Understanding Dog Bites in South Jersey

Dogs bite for reasons we don’t always understand completely, but animal experts warn that even dogs with no previous history of aggression may attack and bite for reasons such as the following:

• Fear or startlement
• Feeling threatened or perceiving a threat against their owner
• Protecting their territory, food, or a favorite toy
• Protecting puppies
• Illness or injury
• Developing pack aggression when running loose with other dogs

Any dog ​​can bite under the right—or wrong—circumstances. While some triggers are more common and predictable by those familiar with dog’s motives, we may not always know what causes a dog to lash out aggressively in every case.

It is a dog owner’s responsibility to prevent their pet from causing injuries to others in public and when legally on the dog owner’s property. 

When is a Dog Owner Not Liable For Dog Bite Injuries?

If a dog bites a trespasser or someone in the act of committing a crime on private property, the owner is not liable for damages in most cases. However, those on a property for legal purposes but without an invitation are not trespassers. Postal workers, delivery people, and utility service employees are not trespassers. In most cases, anyone approaching the front door of a home for legitimate reasons is not a trespasser and has a right to expect to be safe from harm. Children are never trespassers under New Jersey Law. 

Common Dog Bite Injuries in New Jersey

Dogs have strong, sharp teeth with jagged edges that work like a serrated blade for tearing. When a dog bites, it causes a range of injuries ranging from level-1 injuries that don’t break the skin but causes mild abrasions to level-5 and 6 injuries that result in multiple deep puncture wounds, tearing of muscle tissue, current consumption of body parts, and death. If a dog attack results in a fatality, family members may gain compensation through a death claim, speak to a wrongful death attorney in South Jersey today. More commonly, victims of dog bites in South Jersey suffer injuries such as the following:

• Single or multiple bites that break the skin
• Deep puncture wounds on one or more body parts
• Skin tearing or degloving of fingers and hands
• Disfiguring facial bites
• Bruises and lacerations
• Brain injury
• Fractured bones
• Traumatic loss of digits (fingers and toes) or limb loss
• Scarring

Dog bites often require extensive medical treatment as well as emergency care. Animal bites are prone to infection and leave disfiguring scars. Extensive scarring may require corrective surgery to restore appearance. Some dog bite victims in South Jersey need rehabilitation to regain full use of injured hands, feet, or limbs.

Besides physical injuries, many victims of dog attacks suffer from PTSD, sleep disorders, anxiety, or depression after their attacks.

What Is the Dunbar Scale for Measuring Dog-Bite Severity?

An animal behaviorist and veterinarian, Dr. Ian Dunbar, developed the Dunbar Dog-Bite Scale to measure dog bite injury severity. Legal professionals, insurance companies, doctors, and veterinarians use this scale to evaluate the damage and consequences to the victim caused by the bite. Each of the following levels measures the seriousness of dog bite injuries.

Level 1 Dog Bites

A level 1 dog bite is the least damaging dog bite injury. Level 1 describes an incident of a threatened dog bite, meaning the dog showed aggression and the propensity to bite. At this level, the victim may suffer emotional trauma or physical injuries caused by running away from the aggressive dog, particularly if they fall, or the dog knocks them down. When a level 1 dog bite occurs, the dog’s owner should be made aware of the dog’s hostility and the potential of a worse incident in the future without intervention.

Level 2 Dog Bites

Level 2 bites describe dog attacks in which the dog makes tooth contact with the victim but doesn’t break the skin. The victim could have a red mark, bruise, or light abrasion of less than a tenth of an inch deep without bleeding. The attack could include other injuries if the dog knocked the victim down or caused a fall. 

A pet’s owner should take proper precautions to ensure their dog’s dangerous aggression does not escalate after a level 2 dog bite.

Level 3 Dog Bites

In level 3 bites, the dog’s teeth puncture the victim’s skin in one to four places in a single bite with punctures no deeper than half the length of the dog’s tooth. The bite is moderate in severity and doesn’t include torn flesh, but could include shallow lacerations from the bite victim pulling their hand away.

Level 3 dog bites are a signal that a dog intended to cause harm, but not lethal aggression. A dog’s owner should take immediate corrective measures including training and containment to ensure the dog causes no further harm.

Level 3 dog bites require medical care to clean and bandage the wounds with treatment to prevent infection. The law requires the dog to be quarantined for 10 days to detect a rabies infection so the injury victim can receive life-saving preventative treatment if the dog has rabies. Rabies cases are rare for New Jersey dogs kept as pets, but they have occurred.

Level 4 Dog Bites

In level 4 bites, the victim may have multiple bites, with at least one bite having one to four punctures with at least one puncture that’s the full depth of the dog’s tooth. Level 4 bites are severe and may include lacerations and tearing of flesh caused by the dog shaking its head from side to side during the bite.

Level 4 dog bites are serious and can cause permanent scarring or disfigurement. They require medical care to prevent infection and to address scarring. Dogs who cause level 4 dog bite wounds present a serious threat to the public.

Level 5 Bites

A dog bite victim with level 5 bite injuries suffers multiple bites with two or more bites reaching level 4 severity. It includes the tearing of skin and muscle and could involve damage to bones, blood vessels, and nerves. Level 5 bites leave disfiguring scars and could result in problems with mobility, range of motion, and sometimes permanent disability. Level 5 bites could be life-threatening when the bites are in vulnerable areas like the neck, throat, or head, and may also lead to serious infections and other illnesses.

When a dog attack results in level 5 bites, the law considers the dog a very dangerous animal that attacked with the intent to kill. 

Level 6 Bites

Level 6 dog bites describe catastrophic dog bite wounds including the consumption of flesh and body parts and/or the victim’s death. Death could occur during the attack or later, due to complications. Level six bites involve extensive tearing of the victim’s flesh and muscle, and could include the loss of fingers, toes, hands, feet, or limbs. Level 6 bites often cause death, but could also leave a survivor with extreme disfigurement, scarring, limb loss, and disability.

When a dog causes damage at this level, animal control typically euthanizes it due to the extreme threat to public safety.

What to Do After a Dog Bite in South Jersey

After a serious dog attack, a stunned and wounded victim may be too seriously injured to do anything other than wait in place for help from emergency services. However, if a dog bite victim can safely use their phone after the dog has been restrained or contained, it becomes an important tool. After a dog bite in South Jersey, the injury victim should use a cell phone to call 911 to request emergency services and report the attack to the police. Victims should also report the dog bite incident to their local New Jersey Animal Control Office, or request the police to notify Animal Control.

If you’ve suffered injuries from an attacking dog, do the following after notifying the police and animal services:

• Take photos of the dog if it’s still nearby
• Take photos of your visible injuries
• Take photos of anything that contributed to the incident, like an unlocked gate, broken fence, or broken leash 
• Add the contact information of the dog’s owner and any eyewitnesses to the attack

You should go straight to the hospital after a dog bite injury, even if it seems minor. Dog’s teeth carry bacteria that can cause serious infections. This also helps to document evidence of the damages caused by the dog. Request a detailed medical report listing your injuries, the doctor’s recommendation for treatment—including whether or not you’ll have significant scarring or require reconstructive surgery—and your prognosis. Then, call the South Jersey dog bite lawyers at Grungo Law before speaking to the dog owner’s insurance company representatives.

What Damages Are Available for Compensation After Dog Bites?

Dog bite injuries quickly become expensive, especially if they require antibiotic treatment, rabies prevention, and/or corrective measures for scarring. Some dog bite victims in South Jersey need counseling after the attack to recover from emotional trauma. A successful claim for damages often includes some or all of the following:

• Medical costs
• Future medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Future income loss
• Pain and suffering compensation
• Compensation for other non-economic damages such as disfigurement, scarring, traumatic limb loss, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional trauma

When an individual takes ownership of a dog, New Jersey considers the owner strictly liable for any damages caused by the dog to others. Typically, compensation for dog bite injuries in South Jersey comes through the pet owner’s homeowner’s insurance.

Do I Have to Go to Court for a New Jersey Dog Bite Case?

Most personal injury claims end with a settlement from the insurance company of the liable party, including in dog bite cases. The dog owner’s property liability insurance company will assign an insurance adjuster to the case and then negotiate with the injury victim’s attorney to arrive at a settlement to cover the victim’s damages. Nearly 95% of dog bite injury claims are resolved with a settlement. Only in cases of an insurance company disputing the claim, denying it outright, or undervaluing the settlement amount does the case require litigation in court to seek a positive jury verdict and court award for damages. In this case, the attorney must file the victim’s lawsuit within New Jersey’s two-year statute of limitations for personal injury cases.

Call the Dog Bite Lawyers at Grungo Law Today for a Free Case Consultation

If you’ve been injured in a frightening dog attack, you shouldn’t be left responsible for the costs of your medical treatment and missed paychecks. Reach out to Grungo Law today for the client advocates dedicated to doing things right by holding pet owners accountable.