Waukegan Dog Bite Injuries Lawyer in Lake County, IL

Even though dogs are “man’s best friend,” they are still animals. That means they remain prone to sudden, uncharacteristic, and sometimes violent behaviors. That includes attacking people. Dogs can and do bite, scratch, and jump on people with alarming frequency, leaving millions of Americans with serious injuries and disfigurement every year. If the dog is particularly strong, large, or aggressive, or if the victim is young, elderly, or otherwise vulnerable, an attack can prove fatal.

If someone is hurt or killed in a car accident, the victim can file a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent driver. If someone is hurt or killed by a defective or dangerous product, they can file a product liability suit seeking compensation from the manufacturer. And if a dog attacks and injures someone, the victim can sue and seek compensation from the dog’s owner under certain circumstances.

That is because dog attack victims should not have to bear the costs and burdens that follow, such as medical bills, rehabilitation, reconstructive surgery, lost wages, psychological trauma, and pain and suffering.

Individuals who get injured when a dog turns on them can turn to Lake County dog bite lawyer Kirk Moyer to get them compensation for their injuries and losses. For over a quarter of a century, Kirk has worked tirelessly to help individuals and their families recover, rebuild, and move forward after a catastrophic injury or the sudden and tragic loss of a loved one turns their lives upside-down.

Dogs bite an estimated 4.5 million Americans each year, leading to thousands of hospital stays and hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits. Other dog bite statistics reveal how frequent, and how costly, these attacks are:

• Dogs killed 433 Americans between 2005 and 2017
• 9,500 Americans are hospitalized due to dog bite injuries each year
• 316,200 emergency department visits in one recent year were due to dog bites
• In 2015, more than 28,000 people underwent reconstructive surgery as a result of being bitten by dogs.
• Dog bites (and other dog-related injuries) accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claim dollars paid out in 2015, costing more than $570 million, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Illinois had the second-highest number of dog bite claims in the nation.

As dog attacks are actually increasing in frequency, more individuals are winding up as victims of unprovoked and unexpected bites and other incidents. And while you may associate certain breeds like pit bulls and rottweilers with vicious attacks, all dogs have sharp teeth, no breed is immune from violent behavior, and even the best, most well-trained dogs can have a bad day. Similarly, even the most responsible pet owner may not be able to predict or prevent an attack.