What Can I Do If My Child Was Seriously Injured in a Dog Attack?

 Posted on April 21, 2022 in Dog Bites

While dog attacks are relatively rare, they can be a scary and dangerous experience, especially for young children. Dogs are often much larger and stronger than a child, and because of their similar height, children are at greater risk of sustaining serious and even life-threatening head and neck injuries in a dog attack. Winnebago County does not have any restrictions against owning pit bulls, but parents of young children should know that pit bulls are, statistically speaking, the most dangerous breed of dog when it comes to dog attacks on children and exercise particular caution around an unfamiliar pit bull. If your child has been attacked by a pit bull or any breed of dog and sustained injuries, you may be able to sue the owner to recover the cost of your child’s medical expenses and emotional trauma.  

Are Dog Owners Responsible for Injuries Caused By Their Dogs? 

As with most legal issues, the answer is, “It depends.” If a child wandered onto someone else’s property and accidentally or intentionally provoked a dog attack, the dog owner is probably not liable for any injuries the child sustained. However, if a dog is allowed to wander off private property and it attacks a child at a park or on your family’s property, the owner will likely be responsible. Likewise, if you are invited to a friend’s house and their dog attacks your child unprovoked, especially if the dog has a history of aggression or biting people, your friend may be responsible. 

What is Considered a Vicious Dog?  

Children are often bitten by dogs because they tend not to understand a dog’s warning signs. A child’s behavior that seems playful or harmless to an adult human may seem irritating or threatening to a dog; pulling a dog’s tail or ears, chasing a dog, or taking something from a dog’s mouth may all provoke an attack. A dog who has attacked a child when the child was abusing, assaulting, or physically threatening the dog will likely not be considered vicious and the owner will not be held responsible for the attack. However, if a dog has a history of attacking people unprovoked and the owner does not take the necessary steps to confine a vicious animal, he or she may be held responsible for that dog’s actions. 

Meet with a Winnebago County Dog Bite Injury Lawyer

Dog bites can be terribly traumatic for young children and their parents, who often witness their child being attacked and must deal with the aftermath. If you have a child who has been injured by a dog, you may be able to take action to recover compensation. Call Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Injury Law’s experienced team of Winnebago County dog bite injury attorneys to schedule a free consultation and learn more about your options. We have a clear track record of success in cases involving serious personal injury and always fight passionately on behalf of our clients. Call us now at 815-215-7561. 

Source: 

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1704&ChapterID=41