A dog bite can happen quickly and leave the victim traumatized and fearful, but it also causes physical scarring and permanent injury. Many victims minimize their injuries, but when experiencing dog bite attacks, receiving immediate and professional medical care for you or a family member can often decide between life and death.
A victim can suffer emotional scars, nerve damage, debilitating skin scarring, or amputation from the dog bite attack. A lawyer from our law firm can file a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation for your pain, suffering, emotional distress, and medical costs.
Our personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, will help and guide victims through every step of their dog bite claims. Our efforts include helping you file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit against the owner to recover all your expenses.
Call an Aurora dog bite lawyer at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for immediate legal advice and to schedule a free consultation.
All confidential or sensitive information you share with our lawyers remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Aurora, Illinois Animal Control Ordinances
Many communities around the Chicagoland area, including Aurora, Illinois, maintain dogs in various capacities, mainly for companionship or protection. Owners often need to be aware of the legal responsibilities of owning dogs.
Any dog owner or domestic animal keeper violating the city’s ordinances can be found legally liable for damages filed by a dog bite victim in civil court. Under Aurora’s domestic animal ownership ordinances, pet and dog owners have the legal responsibility to:
- Ensure their domestic animals do not pose any hazard, harm, or danger to any individual or other pets
- Ensure their domestic animals are kept safe on their premises
- Ensure their domestic animals are always under proper control on public property
- Ensure their domestic animals don’t create a nuisance in the neighborhood
- Be aware of the potential of a dangerous animal to cause severe harm or death
Dog bites happen accidentally, yet often, the owner fails to abide by city ordinances or other legal obligations and can therefore be held accountable. In most circumstances, the owner will be legally liable to pay any damages resulting from a dog bite.
Sadly, some dog owners remain negligent in adhering to the law. As a result, many individuals, especially young children, are victimized by severe dog bites yearly.
A civil lawsuit filed by you on behalf of your child or your loved one can help hold the dog owner accountable. Contact our dog bite lawyers for a no-obligation, free case evaluation for legal counsel regarding a personal injury claim.
Strict Liability And Dog Bites
Under the Strict Liability Illinois law, third parties might also be responsible for the attack. Strict Liability refers to anyone in control of a situation where harm occurs and is considered liable for damage and injuries.
Strict Liability could hold even if the third party were not directly involved in causing the injury. For dogs in Aurora, Strict Liability also holds third parties liable who know the domestic animal is dangerous or has a history of aggressive behavior.
With a legal claim in Aurora, Illinois, you may be able to sue a landlord who knew a tenant’s animal was dangerous but failed to prevent the animal from escaping into communal areas or onto public property.
Many of these Cook County and Lake County cases are resolved by the insurance company of the domestic animal owner or defendant. Settlements are often for more money than the cost of litigating the claim. Insurance companies have estimated average payouts of $36,000 for each dog bite injury claim.
As a result of your situation, you or a loved one may be entitled to a settlement or court-awarded compensation from the dog’s owner for your injuries. Sometimes, the settlement amount can include recovery of medical expenses, lost wages, and even pain and suffering.
Common Severe Animal Attack Injuries
Statistics maintained by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) indicate that more than 800,000 dog bites requiring medical attention occur in the US yearly. Most attacks are on young children, and bites tend to be in the face due to a child’s smaller size.
The most common severe injuries associated with animal attacks involve –
- Facial scarring
- Facial disfigurement
- Extensive nerve damage that often involves paralysis
- Lacerations, puncture wounds, hematomas, abrasions, and contusions
- Injuries to the eye
- Severe infection, including hepatitis, hemorrhagic septicemia, and rabies
- Amputation of the nose, fingers, and limbs
- Head injuries and brain trauma
- Bone dislocation and fractures
- Wrongful death
Widespread scarring tends to be the most severe injury that happens in dog bite attacks. The disfiguring scars often produce lifelong physical and emotional consequences. In addition, the injuries can require expensive reconstruction surgeries to remove the scar tissue, with painful treatments that take months or years to complete.
A lawyer from our legal team can assist you with legal counsel when seeking financial recovery for medical bills, rehabilitation, loss of income, pain, and emotional distress.
Aurora, Illinois Ordinances for Dog Owners
Owning domesticated animals is a privilege in Aurora that brings various responsibilities. The city has enacted numerous animal ordinances involving ownership, registration, vaccinations, disturbing the peace, and attacks and bites caused by vicious animals.
Section 9 of the city’s laws ordinances include –
- A Limit of Household Domestic Animals: Aurora limits ownership of domestic animals to four per household, including two cats and two dogs. (Section 9-2).
- Domestic Animal Registration: Every individual owning a dog or cat in Aurora must maintain a city registration tag, even for animals staying on private property. The designating tag must be displayed on the animal’s collar. (Section 9-3).
- Vaccinations: A veterinarian must vaccinate every cat and dog four months or older for rabies and follow-up booster shots yearly. In addition to the city registration tag, the pet must always wear its vaccination tag. (Section 9-8).
- Disturbing the Peace: Owners must ensure their pet does not disturb the peace of the neighborhood or household by allowing the animal to howl, cry, or bark. (Section 9-11).
- Animal Bites and Attacks: Pet owners have the legal responsibility to prevent their dogs from attacking or biting any individual, pet, or property belonging to another. Any household pet that attacks or bites without provocation can be declared a public nuisance and be impounded by the city’s Animal Control Officer. (Section 9-13).
Victims also need to understand their legal rights to seek compensation for injuries. The process can be overwhelming, let alone dealing with it while going through a painful recovery from an attack or physical injury caused by a severe dog bite in Aurora, Illinois.
Hiring our Aurora dog bite attorneys specializing in animal attacks will ensure everything regarding your claim is handled professionally, with no additional stress.
Your Aurora dog bite attorneys will handle the paperwork when filing a claim against the dog owners. We will take care of all legal issues and negotiations with insurance companies on your behalf and ensure you receive proper treatment for any injuries sustained during the dog bite attack.
Wrongful Death from A Dog Attack
Of those admitted, more than 20 percent are severe enough to require surgery, with about one out of six requiring hospitalizations. More people were admitted to emergency rooms for treatment after being bitten or injured by dogs in the US.
In the US, dog bites cause about five deaths daily – one fatal attack every 13 days, or from 3 to 5 million dog bites yearly. Half of all victims are children, and most attacks occur at home with familiar dogs.
Currently, no federal law addresses dog mauling that leads to wrongful death. The most aggressive breeds include –
- Akita
- German Shepherd
- Doberman Pinscher
- Rottweiler
- Siberian Husky
- Malamute
- Boxer
- Bullmastiff
- Pit Bull Terrier
Wolf hybrids are also responsible for many severe injuries and fatalities, but their potential to attack is limited since they are less common.
Small Dogs
The type of dog attack and the breed involved can be significant factors when deciding on the best action for your legal claim. For example, Pomeranians and other small dogs such as Shih Tzus, Poodles, and Maltese are often less aggressive than larger canine breeds such as Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Pit Bulls.
Although smaller dogs may be less likely to attack, any dog can cause serious harm when an aggressive encounter occurs.
Seek medical treatment for your injuries immediately after being bitten by a dog or cat in Aurora, Illinois. Your doctor can provide insight into the number of treatment options available, including antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection or rabies treatments if a wild animal bites you.
In addition, if you are unsure whether the dog that attacked you was vaccinated and licensed, your doctor can draw blood to test whether the dog has rabies.
However, if a dog has attacked you or a loved one in Aurora, Illinois, contact an attorney to assist you with counsel regarding your legal options.
Dog Bite Medical Treatment
According to the National Institutes of Health, many Aurora dog bite victims receiving care for their injuries require intensive surgical treatment to repair their injuries.
A person suffering from severe facial lacerations or deep puncture wounds may require expensive and extensive reconstructive surgery. For example, surgical intervention often requires plastic surgeons to rebuild parts of the face that have sustained bites in an attack.
The top medical treatments for dog bites include –
- Antibiotics
- Rabies shots
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
- Sutures for wound closure
Seek medical attention immediately after a domestic animal bite or attack. Your health may deteriorate quickly without proper care, and antibiotics could prevent the development of an infection.
Facial wounds from a canine attack often take a severe turn for the worse when bacteria enter through deep puncture wounds or torn tissue. The resulting infections can cause severe swelling and pain, which may require emergency intervention to control.
Speak to a Chicago lawyer regarding filing a personal injury case against the domestic animal owner to recover financial compensation for medical costs.
Aurora Dog Bite Attorney
Any victim sustaining a dog bite caused by an owner’s negligence is legally entitled to receive full compensation from the at-fault party. However, an Aurora dog bite lawsuit can be difficult to prosecute under Illinois tort law.
Many victims in the Chicagoland area have hired Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC at (888) 424-5757 for legal representation.
Our dog bite attorneys can build a compelling case for fair compensation and offer crucial evidence to resolve a dog bite case on a contingency fee basis. Contact our Aurora dog bite attorneys today. We provide phone consultations.
Our Aurora personal injury legal team has years of experience negotiating the highest compensation for our clients by negotiating out-of-court settlements and litigating cases before a judge and jury.
