If you’ve been bitten by a dog in Atlanta, Georgia, you may be entitled to compensation from the owner or other responsible parties. Contact Rafi Law Firm at (404) 800-9933 to schedule a free consultation with our experienced Atlanta dog bite lawyers to explore your legal rights and options.
Our team includes former insurance defense attorneys who can help you build a powerful legal claim and demand the life-changing financial award you need in the wake of a traumatic dog attack. Backed by decades of experience, we’ve helped thousands of clients recover over $200 million (and counting) in financial awards.
Why Choose Rafi Law Firm To Help You After a Dog Attack in Atlanta, GA
Dog bite victims in Atlanta, GA, trust Rafi Law Firm because we’re aggressive legal advocates who’ve dedicated our careers to fighting for the injured. We appreciate the gravity of your situation, and we’re prepared to use every resource at our disposal to help you fight for the compensation you’ll need to get back on your feet.
We’ve worked for insurance companies. We’ve defended the claims we pursue today. We know the challenges you’ll face, the tactics the insurer will use to deny your claim, and the way to help you achieve the best possible outcome when you take legal action.
Focus on your recovery and trust that our hands-on experience, in-depth knowledge of Georgia dog bite law, and winning legal strategies can help you win your case and maximize your damages.
If you have questions or if you want to learn more about the considerable benefits of hiring our personal injury law firm to handle your dog bite case, contact us. Your first consultation with an Atlanta personal injury attorney is free.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
Millions of people are bitten by dogs every year. Nearly 20 percent of these dog bite victims suffer injuries so severe that they warrant a trip to the emergency room or hospitalization.
Often, these injuries include:
- Puncture wounds
- Cuts and lacerations
- Nerve damages
- Crushing injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Degloving injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Broken bones
- Eye injuries
- Facial injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Leg injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
If you or your child has been bitten by a dog, try to document the situation and seek medical care as soon as you can. These steps can make a big difference for your health and the strength of any legal claims you intend to pursue.
What Is My Dog Bite Case Worth?
It’s hard to say what your dog bite claim could be worth without knowing about your specific situation. Everyone who suffers a dog bite faces a different reality. The things that make your case unique will dictate the damages you can receive and how they’re valued.
As our Georgia dog bite attorneys in Atlanta evaluate your claim’s potential value, we’ll consider:
- The physical injuries you’ve suffered
- Parts of the body affected
- Short-term and/or long-term changes in your quality of life
- The need for hospitalization or long-term medical care
- Whether you’re likely to be diagnosed with some level of permanent impairment
- Claims that you provoked the animal or share responsibility for the dog attack in some way
- Your age
- Changes in your ability to work and/or your earning capacity
The more severe your injuries and the more the dog attack turns your life upside-down, the more your personal injury claim might be worth.
Working with Rafi Law Firm can help you gain insight into your claim’s potential value and prepare you to make informed decisions during the negotiation process.
Understanding Georgia Dog Bite Law
Georgia’s dog bite law provides that a dog’s owner can be strictly liable for dog bite injuries if they knew or should have known that the dog was dangerous.
Under OCGA Section 4-8-21, a dog is considered to be dangerous if it has previously:
- Inflicted a severe injury on a hum without provocation, or
- Aggressively bitten, attacked, or endangered the safety of a human without provocation after having been declared potentially dangerous.
Simply put, if a dog has a history of aggression or has bitten someone in the past, the dog’s owner is on the hook for damages related to subsequent bites whenever the victim is lawfully on the owner’s premises or in public. In essence, this makes Georgia a one-bite state. Liability isn’t automatic unless the dog has a documented history of aggression.
However, a dog’s owner can be liable the first time a dog bites someone if the owner was negligent in handling the animal. For instance, if a dog owner violated local Atlanta leash laws and their animal bit someone on public property, the owner could be liable for the victim’s medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.
What Compensation Can Be Awarded to Atlanta Dog Bite Victims?
As the victim of a dog bite in Atlanta, or as the parent of a child who was bitten by a dog in Atlanta, you’ll have the opportunity to file a personal injury claim to ask for compensatory damages. Compensatory damages fall into two categories, each of which is designed to help you deal with different aspects of your recovery.
Economic damages are intended to cover the financial costs and losses related to your dog bite injuries, including:
- Emergency room care, hospitalization, surgery, medications, prosthetics, medical devices, specialist consultations, and other medical bills
- Lost wages and job benefits
- Disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Therapy
- Nursing care
Non-economic damages are intended to help you deal with the consequences of a dog attack that are much more difficult to value, but no less important.
These generally include:
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement and physical scarring
- Reduced quality of life
- Embarrassment
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Loss of consortium
- Chronic physical pain
- Emotional distress
In limited situations, punitive damages may also be awarded in a civil dog bite case. In Georgia, punitive damages are permitted when a jury determines by clear and convincing evidence that a defendant’s actions were either grossly negligent or malicious.
What Happens if the Dog’s Owner Blames Me for the Dog Attack?
Provocation can be used as a defense to dog bite lawsuits. So, don’t be surprised when the dog’s owner accuses you of provoking the dog and sharing some (or all) of the blame for your injuries. In Georgia, these allegations can jeopardize your ability to recover compensation since the state follows a system of modified comparative negligence.
Damages can be awarded on a reduced basis as long as you’re not assigned more than 49 percent of the blame for your dog bite injury. For example, if your assigned blame is 15 percent, any settlement or jury award will be reduced in value by 15 percent.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Dog Bite Attorney in Atlanta?
Dog bites can be physically, emotionally, and financially devastating. Hiring an experienced dog bite attorney in Atlanta to help you fight for a much-needed monetary award should make life easier, not more stressful. That’s why our personal injury law firm handles dog bite cases on a contingent basis.
There’s no up-front cost to hire our team. We won’t get paid until we recover compensation for you. When we win, our attorney fees won’t come out of your pocket. Instead, they’ll simply be deducted from the financial award we’ve obtained on your behalf.
If we don’t win, you owe us nothing.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Dog Bite Lawsuits in Georgia?
You’ll generally have two years from the date that you’re bitten by a dog to file a Georgia dog bite lawsuit. There are situations where the statute of limitations can be tolled, particularly in cases involving young children.
Because minors typically cannot file a lawsuit on their own, the deadline may be paused until they reach adulthood. Once they are legally able to take action, they will then have a set period of time to pursue compensation. Missing the applicable deadline can result in losing your right to recover damages.
Miss the filing deadline, and you’ll risk losing the right to recover compensation for your dog bite injuries.
Call Our Experienced Atlanta Dog Bite Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Your life has changed drastically because of a dog bite in Atlanta, Georgia. The dog’s owner has to be held accountable. Rafi Law Firm can help you make it a reality.
Our Atlanta dog bite attorneys are top-rated legal advocates with decades of experience handling complex injury disputes. Fighting on behalf of the injured, we stand up to powerful corporations and don’t relent until our clients are made whole.
We’ve won over $200 million in settlements and jury awards. Now we’re ready to step into your corner and fight for maximum compensation for your dog bite injuries, too. Contact our office to get started.
