Your Child’s Rights to Compensation for Non-Bite Dog Injuries in Norfolk
Your child could suffer devastating injuries if they are attacked but not bitten by a dog in Norfolk or Virginia Beach. Consulting with an experienced Norfolk personal injury lawyer at Tavss Fletcher is crucial to understanding your child's options and what you need to do to pursue appropriate legal action for them.
Not all injuries caused by dogs result from bites. If your child has suffered injuries in a dog attack in Norfolk or Virginia Beach, even if there was no actual biting involved, they may still have a claim for compensation against the dog owner and handlers.
Injuries Caused by a Norfolk Non-Bite Dog Attack
Dog attacks can lead to various injuries, even in the absence of a bite. Dogs can knock down a child, maul them, or injure them in other ways. Understanding the potential harm your child may have experienced is essential in assessing their claim for compensation. Injuries they could suffer include the following:
- Severe cuts, scratches, and abrasions
- Broken bones
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries
- Anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions
When Dog Owners and Dog Handlers Face Liability for a Non-Bite Dog Attack
Under various Virginia laws, dog owners and handlers may be responsible for compensating your child for their injuries. Here are ways in which our knowledgeable personal injury lawyers can hold dog owners and handlers accountable for non-bite injuries caused by their dogs.
Virginia's Dog Bite Law
In Virginia, dog owners can be held strictly responsible for injuries caused by their dogs if they knew or should have known that their dog was dangerous or aggressive under Virginia's dog bite law. They can be liable for compensating victims for bite and non-bite injuries.
Negligence
Dog owners may be liable if they were negligent in controlling their dogs or failed to take reasonable precautions to prevent an attack. Negligence involves a breach of duty, such as allowing a known aggressive dog to roam freely. Dog handlers could also be held accountable for compensating a victim if their negligence in controlling a dog under their care resulted in non-bite injuries.
Negligence Per Se
If a dog owner or handler violates local leash laws or other regulations, it may establish negligence per se. This legal doctrine means that the owner or dog handler is presumed negligent because they violated a law designed to prevent the type of harm that occurred.