How Dog Bite Injury Lawyers can Help
When seeking legal ramifications after a dog bite, it’s always best to seek the aid of an experienced injury lawyer. A lawyer can help to prepare your claim, and even help to locate negligent and evasive dog owners. Throughout your experience, experienced Ontario lawyers are equipped to help.
First Steps after the Dog Bite
Following a dog bite, or any injury for that matter, the most important thing is your own safety. Before anything else, seek medical attention to tend to your injury. But it will bolster your case if factors at the scene of the dog bite are addressed; if you had a companion at the time of the attack, they can be crucial for this.
If the owner is present, get his or her name and contact information. If the owner refuses to comply, or you were bit by an unaccompanied dog, your Ontario injury lawyer may have the resources to track them down.
Remember to report dog bites to the police, the local health department, and the local by-law enforcement office. A record of the bite from the scene itself will aid your case, especially if the dog has been recorded as a serial biter.
Who is Responsible?
Ontario’s Dog Owner’s Liability Act (DOLA) states that the dog owner or owners are legally and financially responsible for injuries or property damage as a result of their animal. Owners are “strictly liable”, which means that they must cover damages even if they acted in a responsible manner or you provoked the dog. Ontario injury lawyers are experienced in discerning both the victim and the owner’s actions, and can use this in your case.
Dog bite injuries can be a scary, painful experience. Don’t let your case be daunting as well; an Ontario dog bite injury lawyer can guide you through the process to make your case simple and painless.
Sources: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90d16_e.htm
http://www.cesarsway.com/dogbehavior/biting/What-to-Do-if-Youre-Bitten-by-a-Dog