2010 March Archive
Five-Year-Old Traumatized by Pit Bull Attack
A 5-year-old boy was injured in a dog bite incident after a pit bull broke his chain and bit the boy twice as he was playing in a neighbor’s yard. According to a news report in the Henderson Daily News, the boy was playing with friends when the dog broke free from its chain, charged toward the boy and bit him on the head. The pit bull also bit the child on the arm. The boy’s mother said her son has been emotionally traumatized by the dog mauling and refuses to come back home from the hospital or go outside to play because he fears another attack.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), between the years 1979 and 1998 at least 25 breeds of dogs were involved in 238 human dog bite related fatalities. Pit bulls and rottweilers were involved in more than half of these fatalities – about 60 percent. Also, according to Dogsbite.org, a Seattle-based advocacy group for dog bite victims, of the 88 fatal dog attacks in the United States in a three-year period between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008, 59 percent or 52 incidents involved pit bulls, followed by rottweilers (14 percent).
In Washington State, if your dog attacks or bites another pet or human being, you will be held responsible for the incident and injuries caused. Washington State dog bite law states that, as the dog owner, you are responsible for the pet. Washington’s “strict liability statute” states that the dog owner should be held liable for the attack whether or nor the owner is aware of the dog’s prior viciousness.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington dog attack, please contact the experienced Washington personal injury attorneys with The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE brochure about dog bite cases, which has useful information to help you understand your legal rights and options as a victim. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.
Source:http://hendersondailynews.com/articles/2010/02/24/news/03pitbull.txt
Fatal Dog Attacks Involving Newborns
Two newborn infants were killed in dog attacks – one in Georgia and the other in Minnesota – within the span of one week, according to news reports. One instance involved a pit bull mix and another involved a Siberian Husky. In both cases the parents had left the child unattended. The infants, in either case, could not be saved.
These are tragic cases, which remind us yet again to take certain safety precautions especially when it comes to protecting our children from dog bites. According to studies performed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, children are most often the victims of dog bites. Sometimes, it occurs unprovoked. Other times, it happens because children do not know how to behave around dogs. But in these cases, it happened because the parents trusted their dogs around their infants. In the Minnesota case, a news report states that the Siberian Husky was a known aggressive dog.
Seattle personal injury lawyers know that these are tragedies that can be entirely prevented. There are several steps you can take as a dog owner and as a parent to make sure such incidents never happen. First of all, make sure your dog is trained well. Dogs need mental and physical stimulation every day. If you ignore your dog when the baby comes along, then it might lead to problems. Dog owners should socialize their animals and familiarize them with different types of people and situations from a very young age.
If you have a new baby, get your dog used to the sounds and smells of babies. Watch out for warning signs from your dog. If your dog is already known to be aggressive or has bitten and injured a human being, you would be well-advised to remove your dog from your home. While a dog can be man’s best friend, your child is far more important than a dog.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington dog attack, please contact the experienced Washington personal injury attorneys with The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE brochure about dog bite cases, which has useful information to help you understand your legal rights and options as a victim. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.
Source:http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/newtonnews/headlines/85151672.html
