Georgia Injury Law Blog

A two-year-old girl in Columbus is recovering after a ferocious dog bite involving a Rottweiler. Unfortunately, dog bite attacks are all too common today. As a personal injury attorney who has regularly handled dog bite cases, I know that these animal attacks often result in serious and permanent personal injury to the victims. There have been a number of dog bite incidents which have resulted in the wrongful death of the individual.

The attack occurred on Friday afternoon, when the toddler was walking home with her grandmother. She saw the dog behind a fence, and wanted to play with it. By the time the grandmother could reach the little girl, she had already opened the door, and was playing with the dog. The animal attacked her, leaving her with several bite wounds and ripping off part of her scalp. 

The toddler had to be rushed to the hospital, where doctors worked to reattach her scalp. She needed several skin grafts. She's also expected to require more surgery to sew more skin back on. Police don't expect to file any charges at this point. The dog has been taken into animal control’s custody.

Every year, approximately 4.7 million people suffer dog bites in the United States. Of these, one in six bites is serious enough to require hospitalization. Not surprisingly, children are the most frequent victims of dog bites in the US. Little children may lack an appreciation of the dangers that any animal can pose, and the result is often an attack that can leave a child traumatized, possibly for life. 

Posted By Robert Katz In Animal attacks , Dog Bite Cases and Issues | 0 Comments Permalink

It’s not going to be the most popular measure in the city of College Park in Fulton County as far as dog lovers are concerned, but it could help monitor a number of aggressive breeds, reducing the incidence of bites involving these breeds. The City of College Park has imposed a new dog fee on owners of certain breeds of dogs. As an Atlanta personal injury attorney, I very much welcome the new fee. The is a high frequency of dog bites among certain breeds and city and county governments need to take action.

College Park Council member Ambrose Clay began pushing for the ordinance after reports of two dog bite incidents in his area over the last year. The ordinance will go into effect on the 1^st of July, when owners of certain breeds that the city has already decided are potentially dangerous, must pay an annual $25 fee. This fee must be paid even if the dog has never been involved in an attack or bite incident before. The breeds that are included in this ordinance include, not surprisingly,many breeds which are often involved in dog bite incidents in Atlanta. Several pit bull mixes including American pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers and American Staffordshire terriers are included in the list of dogs. Other breeds also include Dobermen, German Shepherds and Rottweilers. Besides owners of these breeds, owners of dogs that have been involved in a bite incident are also required to register their dog in the registry.

As expected, dog owners who own these breeds in College Park, have been upset. However, the College Park Council believes that this fee system will enable the city to track and monitor the movement of aggressive breeds, especially those that are involved in bite incidents. See, http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/14842402/dog-owners-face-fee

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Posted By Robert Katz In Dog Bite Cases and Issues | 0 Comments Permalink

New information by the Insurance Information Institute suggests that there has been an increase in the cost of dog bite claims over the past year. The average dog bite claim cost insurers about 5% more in 2010 compared to 2009. Dog bites often result in extremely serious personal injuries. Our office has handled a significant number of dog bite cases in the last 20 years. The injuries from these matters appear to be becoming more and more severe. This may be as a result of more individuals owning dogs for protection or certain breeds that are more likely to attack persons. As an Atlanta injury lawyer, I strongly support the need for obedience training for dogs when they are puppies. I believe this would greatly reduce the number of overall attacks.

The analysis of homeowners’ insurance data by the Insurance Information Institute found that the average cost of dog bite claims in the United States in 2010 was $26,166. That's an increase of 5.3% from $24,840 in 2009.   The cost of dog bite claims increased a staggering 37% between 2003 and 2010. 

There was a drop in the number of dog bite claims being filed. These dropped 4.9% from 16,586 claims in 2009 to 15,770 claims in 2010.

The Insurance Information Institute is attributing this increase in the size of dog bite claims to increased medical care costs. However, the bigger factor in the increase in dog bite claims costs over the past year has been the size of verdicts for plaintiffs. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the size of dog bite lawsuit verdicts going in favor of plaintiffs has actually risen well above the rate of inflation over the past year.

Besides, the data also suggests an increase in dog bite hospitalizations in the United States. For instance, a report in 2010 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality indicated that there was an increase of nearly 100% in the number of Americans being hospitalized for dog bites over a 15-year period. In 1993, 5,100 persons had to be hospitalized after a dog bite. That number had increased to 9,500 persons in 2008.

The Atlanta dog bite attorneys at the Katz Law Firm represent persons injured in dog bite attacks around Atlanta and Georgia.

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A young boy waiting at the bus stop in southwest Atlanta had a miraculous escape after a dog bite attack by a pair of Rottweilers. The boy, who was about eight or nine years old was standing at the bus stop waiting for his bus, when the two dogs turned up and the dog bite attack occurred. Another child was also waiting at the bus stop, but managed to escape. Fortunately for the boy, a neighbor was able to scare the dogs away. As an Atlanta injury attorney, I have often found that dog bite attacks often result in extremely serious personal injuries.

Both of the dogs belonged to separate dog owners. Both the dog owners have been cited by the Fulton County Animal Control and the dogs have been removed from the neighborhood.

Children are the biggest victims of dog bites in Atlanta. According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, approximately 4.5 million Americans suffer dog bites every year. Of these, one in five bites result in injuries that are serious enough to require medical attention. Among child victims of dog bites, the rate of injuries is highest in children in the age group of 5 to 9. Besides, children are much more likely to require medical attention after a dog bite.

Dog owners must take special care to socialize the dogs, in order to prevent attacks involving animals. Dogs must be properly trained, and specifically taught submissive behaviors. If you find it hard to train your canine, get professional help. Parents and caregivers must never leave young children or infants alone with dogs, even pet animals. Children, who are old enough to follow instructions must be taught responsible and safe behavior around dogs.  Children must be taught not to tease the animal, pull its tail or kiss it on the face. Children must also be taught never to disturb a dog that is sleeping, feeding or looking after its puppies.

The Atlanta dog bite lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent injured victims of dog bites in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.

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