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Schaumburg Dog Bite Lawyer
Dog bites are common in Illinois, and dog owners may be held liable for injuries caused by their pets. If a dog bite has injured you or someone you love, it's important to understand that the law protects victims of these types of incidents.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC has a proud reputation we have earned over the years as respected Chicago personal injury lawyers who will fight hard for our client&'s rights. We are not afraid to take on large corporations when they have caused harm through negligence or misconduct, and we believe that no matter how big your opponent may be, justice should always prevail.
Please do not hesitate to contact a Schaumburg personal injury lawyer at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for legal advice and schedule a free consultation.
Let our dog bite lawyers help you get the compensation that you deserve from the animal's owner after suffering an accident at the hands of another person's pet!
Schaumburg, a Dog-Friendly Village
Schaumburg, Illinois, provides a dog-friendly environment to its residents, visitors, and guests who enjoy many of the outdoor and indoor amenities in the village. In addition, many restaurants, hotels, and apartment complexes accommodate guests, tenants, and residents with dogs, cats, and other domesticated pets.
Individuals and households are advised to have their dog micro-chipped, where a tiny microchip is implanted in the pet in a permanent location. This tiny chip provides valuable data, including the dog's identification and its owner's contact information.
By Schaumburg, IL ordinance, all pets must wear a durable collar affixed with a county rabies tag along with an additional tag imprinted with the pet's name and phone number, and address of its owner.
The village encourages dog owners to neuter or spay their pets to minimize the potential of roaming. When the pet is taken away from the owner's premises, the dog must be firmly secured to a leash while walking them.
Cook County Code of Ordinances
Animal control within the village of Schaumburg is regulated by Cook County dog ordinances, specifically Chapter 10, to ensure the safety of everyone on public and private property. Some of these dog control ordinances include:
- Rabies Vaccinations: All dog owners and keepers must ensure that their pets four months or older are vaccinated against rabies with an approved vaccine administered by a licensed veterinarian. (Section 10-41)
- Animal Care: All dog owners must provide their pets with proper shelter, sufficient water, and wholesome food, along with appropriate protection against the weather. Pet owners must ensure that their animals do not run at large, bite or attack individuals or other animals, chase vehicles or cause a nuisance by barking, crying, or whining. (Section 10-8)
- Dangerous and Vicious Dogs: All owners of a dangerous or vicious dog must ensure that the pet is confined in a secured enclosure or inside a building. These dogs must be caged or muzzled whenever away from the owner's premises to avoid dog bites. (Section 10-12)
Dogs are considered dangerous or vicious if they have injured, bitten, chased, or killed an individual or other domestic animal without provocation or displays behavior deemed an imminent danger to others.
Illinois' Animal Control Act
The state legislature has enacted the Illinois Animal Control Act to protect the public from dangerous dogs. This law identifies the following as potentially dangerous animals:
Aiding or Abetting an Animal Attack: Anyone who willfully aids or abets the attack of another person with their animal(s) is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor crime. (Illinois Animal Control Act, 510 ILCS 5/25).
Leash Law: An owner must keep their dog or another animal on a leash no longer than 6 feet when in public. The owner must also carry a means to remove the animal(s) from any situation that is considered dangerous or out of control (510 ILCS 5/11).
Responsible Ownership Law: Establishes reasonable conditions for dog owners, keepers, and leasers to ensure that they are responsible for providing for their pet's behavior. These conditions include:
- Allowing the animal to roam free or not under control by leash
- Not having a dog license tag attached to their pet's collar at all times
- Not muzzling an animal when it is out of doors unless circumstances make this necessary
- Not confining an animal indoors or in a secure enclosure, such as a garage (510 ILCS 5/5)
Obedience Training: All dog owners and keepers must provide complete obedience training for their pets, including giving the dog verbal commands to stop, sit and stay on command (510 ILCS 5/14).
Dog Bite Statistics
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), an estimated 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States. Of these bites, nearly 1 million dog bite victims require medical attention while the rest of the injuries heal without professional medical treatment.
Young children are at greatest risk for being attacked and injured by dogs, with approximately half of all dog bite cases involving an individual under 12 years of age.
On average, over 300 people die in the United States from dog attacks, which are on the rise each year.
According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 60% of all dog bites are attributed to unneutered male dogs, making them more aggressive when female dogs are in heat.
Data reveals that dogs who are not spayed or neutered are more likely to be involved in an attack than their fixed counterparts.
Aggressive dog breeds most likely to be involved in a biting attack include:
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According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, an individual is 20 times more likely to be bitten by a dog with an unknown history of violence than one who has passed inspections for good temperaments and behaviors during their upbringing.
Schaumburg Dog Bite Prevention
The village of Schaumburg provides various safety precautions for residents to prevent dog bites. One of these recommended measures involves holding an information session for parents and children about approaching a dog, reading their behavior signals, and what to do if one is bitten or attacked by a dog.
The village also encourages everyone who might be involved in contact with dogs on public property or private property where pets are at large to practice some simple precautions:
- Never approach a dog in their yard, on a porch, or behind a fence without the owner's permission
- Adults need to teach children how to behave if they find themselves face to face with a dog. For example, kids should never run from dogs and must keep their hands to themselves if they are approached. They should also avoid any quick movements or making loud noises around dogs
- Do not pet a dog without allowing them to see and sniff you first, which is natural for canines to greet one another
- Dog owners need to monitor their pets closely while outside in public places like parks or walking with their dogs
- Dog owners are responsible for controlling their pets at all times, including the safety of other people who might come into contact with them, especially children. Therefore, the Animal Control Unit suggests that everyone check out the pet before approaching it to ensure it's safe
The village of Schaumburg requires that all dogs over four months of age be vaccinated and registered with the Animal Control Unit as required by state law.
Holding the Pet Owner Accountable: Getting Legal Help after a Dog Bite
A Schaumburg personal injury lawyer can help you file a claim against the owner or keeper of the animal for injuries resulting from being bitten.
Of course, after an accident involving your pet, you should always seek medical attention and contact your insurance company. Still, you may also need to speak with an attorney about the next steps in filing a claim for damages.
Although most animal bites are accidental or unintentionally provoked by someone, injuries due to alleged negligence of animal owners can be grounds for compensation throughout Illinois.
A legal expert on Schaumburg dog bites can provide you with information on your legal options and guide you through the process of filing a claim that will hold the pet owner responsible for their actions.
Suffering Dog Bite Injuries
Dog bites account for nearly one percent of all visits to a hospital emergency room. Sadly, more than six out of every ten dog bites involve children ten years and younger who suffer from serious injuries, including puncture wounds to the face.
Dog attacks and animal bites often inflict severe lacerations, cuts, abrasions, fractured bones, and crushing wounds.
Owner neglect of their pet results in many animal attacks and attacks on innocent adults, children, and other domesticated animals. If you, or a loved one, are the victim of a dog attack or dog bite, you have the legal right to pursue financial compensation from the pet's owner.
However, prosecuting a Schaumburg, IL animal attack case is often complex and requires the skills of a reputable personal injury attorney who handles these types of attacks.
Dog Bites and Wrongful Deaths
Surviving family members who lost a loved one in a dog attack can seek financial compensation to recover their monetary damages. Typically, those who qualify to file a claim or lawsuit include surviving spouses, children, siblings, parents, grandparents, etc.
In Illinois, wrongful death lawsuits involve filling out a legal form and providing detailed information to the court about how the death occurred. This process can be difficult without speaking to a Schaumburg, IL personal injury attorney who understands the laws surrounding these types of dog bite claims.
Families can expect to receive compensation to pay for:
- Hospitalization costs and medical bills
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Lost wages and future lost earnings
- Loss of familial support
- Loss of consortium and companionship
- Pain and suffering experienced by the decedent before passing
- Pain, suffering, and grief experienced by the surviving family members
A Schaumburg personal injury attorney can help you or others file a claim against the pet owner for damages.
What Can I Expect When Resolving a Dog Bite Compensation Case?
The specific circumstances involving your animal bite case will be different from others, making it challenging to determine the value of a compensation claim accurately. However, our Schaumburg, IL law firm can assist you in filing a claim to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
Our law offices use various evidence and contributing factors to determine a personal injury case's worth, including:
- The extent of your dog bite injuries
- The length of time it takes to heal
- Any life-altering injuries you received from dog bites
- All ongoing rehabilitation costs
- If you were disfigured or had unsightly scars
- If you have to deal with emotional trauma
- The number of times it takes for wounds to heal
- Any additional expenses that are associated with your injury
Many people do not understand Illinois law regarding dog bites, making filing a claim more difficult. However, our firm can help you file an action in civil court against the pet owner to recover damages. Contact our office today for help with your dog bite case!
Compensation to Expect
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC at (888) 424-5757 can assist you in filing a claim or lawsuit to ensure you receive the compensation you are entitled to, including:
- Compensation for the cost of all your past and future medical expenses, including hospitalization, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and mental health treatments
- Financial recovery of lost income from time away from work and the loss of earning capacity of future income
- The costs involved in handling emotional distress, mental anxiety, and fear
- Payment for your past and future suffering, pain, and hurt
- Recovery of all other expenses associated with dog attacks or dog bites
Contact us today. The qualified team of personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC is ready to seek justice on your behalf. We are prepared to help you obtain justice and protect your rights by holding negligent pet owners accountable for your damages.
How Long A Dog Bite Compensation Case Takes to Resolve
Typically, it takes years for accident victims to overcome the emotional toll of dog bites. Sometimes, the physical damage takes just as long to go away, if ever.
Data shows that it takes approximately one to two years to resolve a dog bite case. During that time, your dog bite attorney will work directly with the defendant's insurance company, claims adjuster, and others to move the legal process along.
However, settling the personal injury case too soon could create significant financial problems for the victim and their family if they need additional compensation for rehabilitation, therapy, or surgeries. Therefore, many personal injury law firms suggest waiting until the victim is nearly healed before agreeing to a final negotiation settlement meeting.
Waiting to settle should no way impede the victim's access to the medical attention they need to recover completely, if possible. The victim's lawyer can include medical care billing by doctors, physical therapists, psychologists, and others into the lawsuit to avoid making payments during the healing process.
In the end, during the negotiation meeting, both the defendant's attorneys and the victim's dog bite lawyers will meet, hoping to reach a settlement agreement. However, the injured party will always have the last say and either agree or refuse the offer.
In some cases, the defendants will make a bad faith offer, significantly reducing the compensation owed to the victim. In these cases, the plaintiff (injured party) and their attorney will build a case to take their claim to trial to present evidence before a judge and jury.
Schaumburg Dog Bite FAQs
Our personal injury law firm understands that many families have unanswered questions about dealing directly with an insurance company when filing a dog bite claim. A Schaumburg personal injury attorney has answered some of those questions below.
Call our law office at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form to obtain additional information for your unanswered questions.
If you are attacked, stand your ground and remain upright, showing the pet you are no threat to their safety.
Hiring a Schaumburg Dog Bite Lawyer to resolve your Personal Injury Compensation Case
Was your loved one the victim of a dog bite attack and you are seeking financial compensation to hold the animal owner legally accountable? At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, our Schaumburg dog bite attorneys handle dog bite cases to ensure that our clients recover compensation for their personal injury claim.
Call our Schaumburg, IL dog bite lawyers today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form to schedule a free initial consultation for immediate legal advice. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team about your personal injury case remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Your dog bite attorney accepts all dog bite cases and wrongful death lawsuits through contingency fee agreements. This promise ensures you pay nothing to handle your dog bite injury claim until we resolve your case through a negotiated settlement or jury award.