Whether you were bitten while playing with a dog at a dog park or a dog chased you and caused you to fall and suffer injuries in Choctaw, OK, we can help. After a dog bite incident, you may face health complications, resulting in expensive medical bills, missed time at work, and a loss of enjoyment of life. Dog bites can happen in less than a second, but they can carry a lifetime of trauma and physical damage.
Fortunately, dog owners can be held liable under strict liability laws, and the attorneys at Ylla | Gosney will use these laws to protect your right to compensation. We specialize in helping dog bite victims get past this traumatic event in their lives by negotiating a fair settlement on their behalf, as well as building a strong case if the dog bite incident goes to trial.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to recover compensation for your dog bite injuries. Contact us today for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
Do I Need a Lawyer for a Dog Bite Injury?
Whether you were injured on someone else’s property or in a public place, it is advisable to discuss your dog bite incident with a Dog Bite Attorney at Ylla | Gosney. If you were injured as a result of a dog owner failing to keep others safe around their dog, they can be legally held responsible for compensating you for your damages.
To recover the full extent of your damages, it is recommended to take legal action through one of our attorneys at Ylla | Gosney. Taking legal action in a dog bite incident seems like it would only complicate an already stressful situation. This is probably true for most dog bite victims, but not with us. Our law firm ensures you get a lawyer, get connected to medical resources, and get compensation for the following damages:
- Present and future medical expenses
- Loss of income, as well as the reduction in your earning capacity that you’ve suffered from your injuries
- Cost of living with your injury, such as making your home disability accessible, purchasing a wheelchair or crutches, hiring a nurse or housekeeper
- Damage done to your property during the accident
- Pain and suffering caused by your injuries
- Stress and anxiety due to the nature of your accident
- Your mental state after a life-changing accident
Steps You Should Take After Suffering a Dog Bite Injury
After suffering a dog bite injury, we recommend taking the following steps to ensure you have a strong case:
- Collect Medical Records: Even if your injuries seem minor, they can manifest into something much worse weeks later. So, it is recommended to check in with a doctor and get a record of your injury. An MRI or an X-ray can reveal substantial damage that you might not be aware of. These documents will be essential to building a strong case.
- Get a Police Report: Failing to alert the police does not help your case, especially if the case comes down to your word over the person responsible for your injuries. A police officer will file an incident report and assign blame based on their assessment. A police report is critical evidence in any claim and will play a key role in ensuring you are fully compensated.
- Gather Evidence: You should document the dog bite as thoroughly as possible. Take pictures of the property where the accident occurred. Take a video of yourself recounting the accident while it is still fresh in your mind.
- Collect Eye Witness Statements: if there are any eyewitnesses, try and get a statement from them. Or, at least, get their names and numbers, as they can testify on your behalf or provide a statement to corroborate your story later.
- Collect General Information: Exchange insurance information with the party responsible for your injuries, and be sure to get their name, phone number, and contact information.
- Contact Ylla | Gosney: Our firm is standing by to help dog bite accident victims in Choctaw, OK, physically and financially recover. Call, text, or email. Our door is always open to the community, and we’d love to help you through this difficult time.
What You Need for an Initial Consultation With a Personal Injury Lawyer
Most personal injury lawyers offer free initial consultations. During an initial consultation, you are under no obligation to hire the attorney or pay them a fee for their services. In the same breath, an attorney is under no obligation to represent you in your personal injury case. Before your first meeting with a potential lawyer, you should be prepared. You can present your case to a lawyer in a professional manner by:
- Jotting down the key points in your case to share with them, or give them a written copy
- Bring the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of everyone connected with the case
- Bring all papers related to the case as they might be helpful for the lawyer to review
- Prepare questions for the lawyer such as:
- Have they handled similar cases to yours?
- Did they settle or go to trial?
- How many clients have they represented in court?
- How many trial cases have they won?
How to Report a Dog Bite in Choctaw
If you or a loved one has suffered a dog bite in Fremont, it is recommended to call 911. However, if the bite is minor, you may not need the police, but you should report the incident to Choctaw Animal Control at 405-658-7801. By filing a report, you’ll be establishing a record of the incident that may be used as evidence if you decide to take legal action. It never hurts to protect yourself, which is why we encourage dog bite victims to seek immediate medical attention, even for minor scratches and scrapes.
Dog bites can transfer bacteria, which could lead to serious health complications. Immediate medical attention can help prevent things from worsening, as well as strengthen your case. With Ylla | Gosney, we connect dog bite victims directly to our medical resources to make sure they’re treated while we negotiate with the insurance company for fair compensation.
Dangers of Dog Bites
A dog bite injury can range from minor scratches to permanent damage. If a dog bite is deep enough, it can damage blood vessels, nerves, muscles, and bones. Deeper bites also carry the risk of infection, which can be detected by the following symptoms:
- Swelling and redness around the wound
- Pain that lasts longer than 24 hours
- Drainage from the wound
- Difficulty moving the affected body part
- Warm feeling around the wound
- Fever
- Shaking
- Night sweats
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 1 out of 5 dog bites requires medical attention. So, even the smallest cuts or scratches can lead to serious health complications. For that reason, it is recommended to seek immediate medical attention for even the slightest dog bite. If you need access to medical attention and need help pursuing compensation for treatment, missed time at work, or mental trauma, Ylla | Gosney Attorneys at Law can help. To get connected to one of our attorneys today, fill out our free case review.
Where Do Dog Bites Occur in Choctaw?
Dog bite incidents in Choctaw are most common in off-leash dog parks. These parks often feature no-leash areas surrounded by fencing, but are large enough to allow even the most energetic dogs to run around to their heart’s content.
Unfortunately, some dogs can get overstimulated around different people or areas where they have more freedom, and end up biting someone. In these situations, the dog owner is liable for damages caused by their dog, not the dog park. The following are places where dog bites in Choctaw, Oklahoma most commonly occur:
- City Parks and Recreation areas: Parks are high foot traffic areas, increasing bite risk, especially for small children.
- Neighborhood Sidewalks and Streets: Dogs can get loose or escape their yards, making strangers seem like trespassers to a dog’s perceived “territory,” resulting in a dog bite.
- Private Residences: Guests who have been invited to another person’s house could set off a dog that is not used to “strangers.”
Proving Dog Bite Liability in Choctaw
In order to recover damages from a dog bite, the victim must prove:
- The dog was owned by the defendant
- The bite took place on public property, or the victim had a lawful right to be on private property when they were bitten
- The victim suffered an injury as a direct result of the dog bite
When a claim is filed for a dog bite incident, evidence is typically how these cases are determined. At Ylla | Gosney, we understand that evidence is the foundation on which your dog bite case stands. It provides a factual baseline to establish liability against the dog owner, demonstrate the extent of your injuries, and justify the compensation you are owed. The evidence we gather for the majority of our injured dog bite victims includes:
- Documentation from animal control
- Police reports
- Eyewitness statements
- Video surveillance of the attack
- Medical records (pre and post-dog bite)
- Copy of the dog owner’s insurance policy
- Prescription drug costs, bank statements, and other out-of-pocket expenses
- Pictures of the wound and where the incident occurred
FAQ
Q: What is the Dog Bite Statute of Limitations in Oklahoma?
A: In Oklahoma, the statute of limitations for dog bite lawsuits is two years. A person has two years from the date the incident occurred to file a lawsuit against the owner.
Q: Does strict liability apply to all animals?
A: No, strict liability is limited to certain domestic animals like dogs.
Q: How does “duty of care” apply to a Choctaw, OK, dog bite incident?
A: Dog owners must exercise a “duty of care” to take reasonable steps to maintain their dog, prevent their dog from escaping, and warn visitors if their dog is inclined to bite people.
Q: How many dog bite injury cases end up going to trial?
A: Very few dog bite injury cases go to trial. If there is an unwillingness to settle, then you will go to trial. However, 95% of civil cases will end up settling out of court.
Contact Ylla | Gosney Choctaw Dog Bite Lawyers
Dog bites can be extremely traumatic and costly. By law, injured dog bite victims have the right to hold dog owners responsible for damages done to their lives through a lawsuit. The word “lawsuit” tends to have a negative connotation, implying years of legal battles and financially going after other individuals. But at Ylla | Gosney, it’s different. Our firm is here to help injured dog bite victims in Choctaw, Oklahoma, recover the compensation they need to put this traumatic event behind. We have the legal resources to get your case resolved and get the financial results you need quickly and efficiently.
Contact Ylla Gosney Attorneys at Law today for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.