Michigan lawsuits for personal injury from dog attacks

March 11, 2014

Michigan lawsuits for personal injury from dog attacks

Article provided by Howard Law Group
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Two German shepherds loose in the suburban Detroit area reportedly were involved in a series of unprovoked attacks that caused personal injuryin early February 2014. Before the two dogs were shot in separate incidents by law enforcement, they had apparently:
-Attacked a woman who had gotten out of her car in the late afternoon to help them, requiring about 50 stitches for puncture wounds on her legs from dog bites and eventual cosmetic repair surgery
-Attacked a man who used a mop handle to protect himself from bites
-Charged emergency workers and law enforcement, preventing them from helping a victim
-Repeatedly bit and dragged a woman walking in the middle of the night

According to the Detroit Free Press, a county official said that the dogs' owner has been cited for letting the dogs run loose and that "a more serious charge related to harboring vicious dogs" will be pursued.

Dog injuries

Dog attacks often cause very serious injury and in some cases even wrongful death. Kids and elderly people are particularly at risk. Some dogs tend to bite and scratch limbs, faces and necks, with eyes, noses and ears particularly vulnerable. Bites and scratches often cause severe scarring after the initial wounds heal, and plastic surgery may be needed repeatedly into the future.

Being hurt by a dog also can cause serious psychological trauma, even post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Mayo Clinic reports that PTSD can cause intrusive memories like flashbacks and bad dreams; avoidance and emotional numbness like feelings of hopelessness and concentration problems; and increased anxiety and "emotional arousal" such as irritability, anger, insomnia, excessive fear and more.

Michigan strict liability statute

Michigan has a strict liability law that allows a dog bite victim to sue the animal's owner for damages like medical expenses, pain and suffering without having to prove any fault on the part of the owner, like knowing the dog was dangerous and not keeping it under control. Liability attaches so long as the victim did not provoke the animal and the bitten person was not on private property illegally or to commit a crime.

A dog bite victim may also be able to sue the dog owner or keeper for damages where the dog's vicious nature was known. Finally, a legal claim for negligence may be brought if the dog's owner knew or should have known a risk of harm existed and the injury did result from the situation. In such a lawsuit, if the owner had been convicted of a crime in relation to the incident, that conviction could be important evidence of negligence.

Seek legal advice

Anyone in Michigan who is harmed in a dog attack or whose minor child is attacked should seek legal advice from a Michigan personal injury attorney with specific experience in dog bite cases. Legal counsel can help the victim deal with the involved insurance companies and launch an investigation of the matter to gather important evidence for a potential civil lawsuit for damages.