The Utah dog bite lawyers at Good Guys Injury Law can help you recover compensation if you’re injured by a dog attack. Utah dog bite laws protect victims. However, to get a settlement, you must pursue a legal claim. This doesn’t mean you have to sue someone or file a lawsuit, but you should call and discuss your legal options with our attorneys.
Good Guys Injury Law is a personal injury law firm dedicated to helping victims. We have the skill, determination, and compassion to help you through this traumatic experience. Our law firm does things differently.
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You can expect to feel understood and to receive clear communication from our legal team throughout your case. Someone who causes a dog bite may owe the victim compensation. Our goal is to work on your behalf for you to receive the dog bite compensation you deserve.
Have Medical Bills from a Dog Bite or Animal Attack Set You Back? Our Utah Dog Bite Lawyer can Help!
Dog bites can be very traumatic, especially for children. These attacks can leave a victim with severe physical and emotional scars. If you live in Utah and have been attacked by a dog, we can help you recover from the cost of your medical expenses and other damages.
Our dog bite attorney understands Utah dog bite laws and animal attack laws. We will work tirelessly to make sure you receive fair compensation. You don’t have to do this on your own.
You need the guidance of a dedicated, qualified personal injury lawyer to help you through the pain and frustration of your case. Our firm strives to serve our clients with a professional and personal emphasis on integrity and compassion.
Your case matters to us. Let us worry about your medical payments and accident claim so you can focus on moving on with your life.
REQUEST A Free Consultation
Have you or a loved one been bitten by a dog and experienced personal injuries? Schedule a free consultation with our Utah dog bite lawyer today.
What Are Some Types of Dog Bite Attacks?
When a dog attacks, it can cause serious damage to the victim’s body. Below is a list of types of dog bite attacks and injuries that can occur.
Hands, Arms, and Legs Dog Attacks
When a dog attacks, a person’s first thought is to protect themselves by putting out their arms or legs. Sometimes, a victim may be able to use this defense mechanism to stop the attack. However, this action sacrifices your extremities.
The pain and damage that a dog can do to the hands and arms can be excruciating. Puncture wounds and broken bones can occur. The loss of use of hands or fingers can impact a victim for the rest of their life.
Puncture Wounds From Dog Attacks
A puncture wound occurs when the dog bites and the teeth enter the skin during an attack. Tearing of the skin can also happen, causing further damage to the extremity. Puncture wounds are also accompanied by scratches with a tooth or clawing from the paws. Left untreated, a puncture wound may become infected.
Broken or Crush Injuries
When a dog bites or attacks a person, it can cause crushed or broken bones. A dog’s jaw can be powerful. Even if the skin is not punctured, bones can still be crushed during the attack. The person might fall or get knocked to the ground, resulting in broken bones that could hinder the victim’s ability to fight back.
Head, Neck and Face Dog Bite Injuries
A dog attack can cause head, neck, and face injuries. Unfortunately, these injuries are common in children because children are smaller and shorter than most adults. When the dog attacks, it is likely to be at the same level as the child, causing serious injury to the face.
A child also can’t fend off an attack as effectively as adults can, which can lead to more injuries. Disfiguring facial injuries can last a lifetime. The victim may need multiple facial reconstruction surgeries and still be left with disfiguring scars that could cause the victim life-long emotional trauma.
Head and Traumatic Brain Injuries From a Dog Attack
If a person falls or gets knocked down during a dog attack, they may hit their head, causing brain injuries while trying to fend off the attack. Head injuries can also happen if the dog bites the head of the victim. Head injuries can be as simple as a bump on the head, as serious as a fractured skull, or a brain injury causing permanent disability.
Scars
Since the most frequent target of a dog attack is the face, these types of wounds can result in severe scarring. Disfiguring scars can have life-long consequences. Scars are an important factor in a personal injury case, as the victim will forever be reminded of the dog’s attack.
Emotional and Psychological Dog Bite Injuries
A dog bite brings emotional scars as well as physical ones. The psychological injuries sometimes present after a dog attack can affect every part of the victim’s life. The victim may even develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which could cause the person to carry frightening memories that could keep them from holding a job or sleeping at night.
What are some common causes of why a dog may be in a state of aggression/attack?
Aggression refers to a range of behaviors that dogs and other animals can display for various reasons. Sometimes, aggressive behavior can lead to nipping, biting, and attacking. Knowing the causes of aggression can help pet parents reduce the risk of their dog hurting another animal or person.
- Anxiety – Changes in the home environment, such as a recent move, new pet, or new baby, can create anxiety in dogs. Some dogs communicate they are anxious through aggression.
- Illness – When a dog is not feeling well and is sick or in pain, it can act aggressively towards others, even pet parents.
- Fear – When a dog or another animal is frightened, its fight or flight response kicks in. If the dog cannot flee and is cornered, it can respond aggressively in an attempt to protect itself.
- Frustration/Boredom – Some dogs will behave aggressively when they are frustrated or bored. Frustration results from the dog not getting to do something it wants. Boredom occurs when the dog is unengaged or neglected.
- Restraint – Some dogs become aggressive when restrained on a leash or put in a dog crate because they do not like being restrained.
- Protection – A dog can become protective of what it views as its territory. If another animal or unknown person enters that territory, they can act aggressively to defend their space.
- Lack of Socialization – Most dog breeds are social animals. When they lack socialization, they can become aggressive when put into social settings. They can also behave this way towards other dogs to determine hierarchy, which is common in pack animals like dogs.
- Resource Guarding – Some dogs guard their food, toys, or even pet parents. Their aggression can be directed at other pets and people in the home, as well as strangers.
- Prior Abuse – Unfortunately, some people abuse their dogs, leading them to respond aggressively to others.
Dog Bite FAQs
Whether you are a victim or the owner of a dog, you probably have a lot of questions. The following is a list of frequently asked questions for dog bites answered by our Utah personal injury attorneys:
- Are dog bite injuries covered by insurance?
- Are there certain dog breeds that always bite?
- Is it required to report a dog bite in Utah?
- How do I know if I should seek compensation for a dog bite?
- What types of compensation are available to Utah dog bite victims?
- Can I get punitive damages for a dog bite injury?
State law determines the time frame for filing a dog bite claim. In Utah, you have four years from the date of the attack to file a legal claim that you had sustained injuries from a dog bite. This time frame of filing a claim is known as a statute of limitations. There are a few exceptions to the four-year limit.
In Utah, dog owners are liable for injuries caused by their dogs to others. However, dog owners are not always responsible for their dogs’ actions if the person who was bitten is in some way at fault, as defined by the Utah Code Section 18-1-1. Shared fault is called comparative liability. If the victim trespassed and/or provoked the dog by hitting, kicking, teasing, or taunting prior to the accident, the victim is likely at fault, and the owner is not liable.
Children sometimes do not know that what they are doing may be upsetting to a dog. They may not be able to think through the consequences of their actions. The owner might say that the child’s actions made the animal attack. However, depending on the dog’s viciousness, it will usually outweigh the actions of the child.
The dog owner’s renters or homeowners insurance almost always covers the cost of damages.
Each claim is different. Compensation is based on how severe the attack is and what damages result. With dog bite cases, there are a few things that are brought into consideration. Higher compensation is awarded when the bite injury is to the face or neck, compared to injury to an extremity. Also, if the injury leaves scarring or physical disfigurement, these injuries may also result in higher compensation.
There are several breeds that are considered to bite harder and more frequently than other breeds; however, it’s debatable due to questions of provocation. Although there are no scientific findings, bulldogs and pit bulls are seen to be more vicious than other dogs like golden retrievers or black labs.
Utah law requires dog bites to be reported by the owner, the person who was bitten, or any medical professional who treats a dog bite injury. Many cities and towns also have ordinances requiring mandatory reporting of dog bites, like Section 8.04.230 of the Salt Lake City Code of Ordinances. But failure to report the bite, does not prohibit you from pursuing an injury claim.
Call your local animal control center if you are unsure who to contact to report the dog bite. Each animal control center will either assist you in filing the dog bite report or refer you to the agency where you need to report it.
The dog may be put to sleep depending on how hard the dog bit and how serious the injuries are. It depends on the amount of viciousness shown and whether the dog is a repeat offender. If the dog has seriously injured a child, the state will put the dog to sleep if you file a dog bite lawsuit. Sometimes the dog and the owner are simply put on a violation report.
The “One Bite” rule refers to different ordinances in various cities and towns in Utah, like Section 6.20.060 of the City of South Salt Lake Municipal Code. Some people mistakenly believe this means that a dog can bite someone and if it is the first time the dog has bitten, the dog owner isn’t responsible. This is false. The dog owner is responsible for every bite. Call us today and we can discuss this in detail.
You should seek legal counsel if you have been seriously injured from a dog bite requiring medical attention. You should also seek compensation for a dog bite if scarring has occurred. If you have lost a considerable amount of quality to your life you may need to consider finding legal counsel. You deserve fair compensation for what happened.
There are different types of monetary compensation one could seek after being the victim of a dog bite, including:
- All current and future medical bills and treatment expenses.
- All current and future loss of earnings.
- Compensation for disfigurement and disability, both short-term and long-term.
- Loss of consortium and loss of enjoyment.
- Physical and mental pain and suffering.
It is essential to remember each dog bite injury claim is unique. As such, the compensation you could receive can and does vary. This is why it is essential to consult with a dog bite lawyer in Utah as soon as possible.
Punitive damages are possible in dog bite injury lawsuits in certain situations. First, the dog’s owner must have behaved in a grossly negligent manner that resulted in your injuries. In addition, they failed to act or acted in such a way that allowed their dog to injure you seriously.
Attorneys for Dog Bites in Utah
Call Good Guys Injury Law for a free and confidential consultation. We’re attorneys for dog bites in Utah that go the extra mile to help victims exercise their rights and find financial relief. Call our team at 801-506-0800.
REQUEST A Free Consultation
Before you accept a settlement offer for a dog bite injury from the insurance company, get a free second opinion from our Utah dog bite lawyers. Request your free consultation today.
Sources:
U.C. 18-1-1. (2021).
8.04.230: Bites; Report Requirements. (2022).
6.20.060 – Destruction Orders. (2022).
Dog Bite Infographic
