Were you or a loved one bitten by a dog in Sandusky, OH? You may be entitled to financial compensation for medical treatment, lost wages, pain, suffering, and more. An experienced Sandusky dog bite lawyer at Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers can help you secure the maximum compensation possible.
By putting 181 years of combined experience to work for every client, we’ve been able to recover over $100 million in settlements and verdicts.
If you were injured, reach out to our law offices in Sandusky, Ohio, today. We offer a free consultation at (419) 625-7770 so that you can understand your legal rights without risk.
Why Call Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers for Help Recovering Compensation After a Dog Bite Injury in Sandusky, OH?
A serious dog bite or animal attack can leave you struggling with painful injuries for months, years, or even a lifetime. The dog’s owner should step up and take financial responsibility. Unfortunately, it’s a rare case where the owner simply hands over a fair settlement. Typically, you’ll have to deal with their insurance company.
You deserve to have a strong Sandusky personal injury attorney handling the insurance and legal issues.
Members of our legal team at Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers have been recognized by Super Lawyers and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for our quality legal representation.
Hiring us gives you an advocate to:
- Collect evidence to support your case
- Identify all options for recovering compensation
- Assess your damages and calculate your case value
- Handle the paperwork and insurance negotiations
- Reject any lowball offers and file a lawsuit on your behalf if necessary
Our Sandusky personal injury lawyers don’t back down from a fight. While you’re recovering, call our law firm to start fighting for the full compensation you deserve.
How Common Are Dog Bites in Ohio?
Dog bites are incredibly common. About 1,000 Americans visit emergency rooms with dog bite injuries every single day.
The Insurance Information Institute publishes research on the cost of these dog bite injuries. Nationwide, insurance companies paid over $1 billion in dog bite claims in 2023.
That year, Ohio ranked fifth in the nation for dog bite injury payouts. Insurance companies paid dog bite victims about $34.6 million statewide that year.
What is My Sandusky Dog Bite Case Worth?
The value of your dog bite case depends heavily on the nature and severity of your injuries. The more the injury impacts your life, the higher your settlement or verdict is likely to be.
When assessing your case value, our attorneys will consider many different factors, including:
- Your medical treatment costs
- Whether you will suffer any long-term injury
- Your anticipated need for future medical care and rehabilitation
- Whether you lose income due to your injuries
- The pain and trauma of the experience
- How the injury is expected to impact your future earnings and quality of life
All personal injury cases are different. It’s always best to speak to an experienced personal injury attorney before taking any insurance settlement offer. Our lawyers in Sandusky are always available to discuss your case, so give us a call to arrange a free case evaluation today.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Dog Bite Victims in Sandusky, Ohio?
Dog bite victims in Ohio can pursue compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages. You should receive compensation to cover all of your current and expected future financial losses. You can also seek compensation for more intangible losses, like physical pain and mental trauma.
Some examples of damages dog bite victims often suffer include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Rehabilitation
- Reconstructive surgeries
- Nursing assistance
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Diminished quality of life
To recover full compensation, you must identify all of the damages you’ve suffered because of the animal attack.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer to Handle My Dog Bite Claim?
Our team at Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers operates on a contingency fee basis. Hiring us won’t cost anything upfront. You’ll agree to pay a percentage of your settlement or verdict when you hire us. That way, you won’t have to worry about legal fees if, for some reason, your lawyer fails to recover compensation in your case.
Can Ohio’s Comparative Fault Law Impact My Right to Compensation After a Dog Bite?
Your compensation can be reduced if you share partial responsibility. Under Ohio’s comparative negligence law, you lose your right to compensation once your percentage of fault reaches 51%. If you share some blame but not most of the blame, your compensation is reduced according to how much fault you share.
Shared fault is typically an issue in cases where the dog’s owner has evidence that you provoked the dog. If you did something to provoke the dog, but the dog’s owner was also negligent, you may still be entitled to compensation. That compensation may simply be reduced to account for your share of blame.
Defendants often blame victims without strong evidence to back up those allegations. Our lawyers can help you fight back if someone is blaming you for your own injuries.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Dog Bite Injuries
Dog bites and animal attacks can cause serious damage. That’s especially true if the dog is large or hasn’t been properly vaccinated. Victims often suffer additional injuries after the dog bite itself–especially if they’re knocked violently to the ground.
At Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers, we handle all types of dog bite injury cases, including those involving:
- Broken bones
- Concussions
- Dislocations
- Shoulder injuries
- Serious puncture wounds and lacerations
- Infection, which can lead to amputations, organ damage, and other serious injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Nerve damage
- Joint injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Sepsis, shock, and serious internal injuries
- Catastrophic and fatal injuries
Dog bites tend to roughly tear the skin. That can make repairing the wound particularly challenging. Some victims suffer significant disfigurement and scarring, which can be permanent. If you or your child were injured by a dog, contact our law firm in Sandusky to learn about your legal options.
What Do I Have to Prove to Win Compensation After Suffering a Dog Bite Injury in Ohio?
Every state has its own laws when it comes to dog bite injuries. Ohio has strict liability dog bite laws.
Instead of proving negligence, the dog’s owner can be liable for damages if you can prove:
- The dog bit you
- You suffered injuries, or damages
There’s no need to prove that the dog had bitten someone in the past. Likewise, you don’t need proof that the owner knew the dog had vicious tendencies.
In Ohio, anyone who was supposed to have control over the dog can potentially be responsible for your damages. That includes the “owner, keeper, or harborer” of the dog.
That might include:
- The owner of the dog
- Veterinarians, vet techs, and veterinary assistants
- Dog walkers
- Pet sitters
- Dog groomers
- Operators of kennels, doggie daycare centers, or dog boarding facilities
- The employer of someone paid to care for the dog
In other words, someone other than the dog’s owner may also share financial responsibility for your losses.
Are There Any Exceptions to the Strict Liability Dog Bite Law in Ohio?
The Ohio dog bite law contains two primary defenses.
The owner won’t be strictly liable for damages if either of the following is true:
- You were committing criminal trespass or attempting to commit some other crime on the owner’s property other than a minor misdemeanor
- You were “teasing, tormenting, or abusing” the dog while on the defendant’s property
So, as is the case in most states, the dog’s owner can raise both trespassing and provocation as defenses to liability.
Even if a defense does exist, it may still be possible to hold the owner liable based on negligence theories. Call our Sandusky dog bite attorneys today for more detailed advice.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Dog Bite in Ohio?
The statute of limitations is generally two years for negligence-based personal injury cases in Ohio. That means you may have two years from the date of the dog bite injury to take legal action. Once the deadline passes, you cannot recover compensation from the responsible party.
Exceptions do exist that could give you more or less time. For example, when children are involved, the clock doesn’t start running until their 18th birthday. So, as a parent, you can choose to take legal action, or your child can pursue damages on their own once they turn 18.
Contact an Experienced Sandusky Dog Bite Lawyer for a Free Case Review Today
Dog bite injuries can have a more significant impact than you might initially imagine. If you or a family member were bitten by someone else’s dog, contact Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers to learn about your legal rights today. An experienced Sandusky dog bite lawyer can help you fight to hold the dog’s owner financially responsible.