Dog bites are a serious matter, yet many dog bite incidents go unreported. Our Waterbury personal injury attorneys have seen numerous potential cases go unfiled, simply because people make excuses for the incident taking place. If a dog has bitten you, understand that reporting the incident is important.
Most people feel like they shouldn’t report a dog bite for one of the following reasons:
“Dog bites are a common occurrence.”
Yes, this may be true. “Person Bit by Dog” is hardly a headline that will sell papers. However, this shouldn’t stop you from reporting an incident. Car accidents are also a common occurrence, but injuries sustained from a dog bite can be just as severe as an auto collision. The problem with not reporting a dog bite is that you might not be the only person to have been attacked by that dog. If no one reports dog attacks, then that dog will continue to injure others with no repercussions.
“It wasn’t the dog’s fault.”
True, but by reporting the incident you would not be holding the dog liable—you would be holding the owner liable. A dog owner is responsible for monitoring their pets and taking proper precautions necessary to ensure the safety of people around them. If an owner is aware that their dog has aggressive tendencies, they must post warning signs on their property and appropriately muzzle or restrain their dog. A dog might not know better, but his or her owner should.
“It was just a bite.”
Sure, you may not want to report a little nip, but most dog bites that cause injury are not just a peck. A dog bite or dog attack can cause serious injury. Also, in most dog bite cases, the victim is a child. A dog bite to a small child can cause years of physical and psychological damages.
If a dog has attacked you or someone you love, do what you can and report the incident. Our Waterbury dog bite lawyers have extensive experience representing victims of dog bites and animal attacks.