West Virginia Dog Bite Lawyers
How a West Virginia Dog Bite Lawyer at West Law Firm Can Help You
Dog bites can cause serious injury and often involve challenging legal issues. If you have been bitten or attacked by a dog, the experienced West Virginia dog bite lawyers at West Law Firm can help. Our personal injury attorneys have a successful track record of helping WV dog bite victims recover full and fair compensation and are equally committed to providing you with excellent, caring service. For a Free Case Review, we invite you to call us toll-free today at 1-877-943-9378.
Why Retain a West Virginia Dog Bite Attorney?
If you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog in West Virginia, it’s important to at speak with an experienced dog bite lawyer as soon as possible, especially if you suffered injuries. A WV dog bite lawyer will be able to advise you of your legal options, including whether he or she thinks you need a lawyer. An experienced injury attorney will also likely take steps to preserve evidence that may be needed to prove your case.
An understanding of West Virginia leash and dog bite laws, including identifying potential insurance coverage, is important to recovering total compensation. That’s why it’s important to choose a lawyer who is experienced in West Virginia dog bite law.
Who Pays West Virginia Dog Bite Claims
Almost all valid dog bite claims are paid by insurance carriers. Depending on the facts of your case, the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance may apply and his or her landlord’s insurance may also apply. In some instances, a commercial insurance policy may apply, too.
To find out if the dog owner and other potentially responsible parties have insurance coverage, our lawyers will seek the declaration pages of such insurance policies. If the dog owner is not cooperative, we will obtain this information in the discovery phase of litigation. However, the threat of litigation is usually enough to motivate a dog owner to provide us with his or her insurance information.
WV Dog Bite Laws
Of course, under West Virginia law, if a dog owner is negligent in some capacity and his dog bites another, he would be civilly liable for the person’s injuries, medical bills, pain, suffering and other losses. But did you know that West Virginia has a specific statute that imposes strict liability on a West Virginia dog owner for any damages his dog inflicts if allowed to run at large?
West Virginia Code §19-20-13 states that, “Any owner or keeper of any dog who permits such dog to run at large shall be liable for any damages inflicted upon the person or property of another by such dog while so running at large.” This is important for dob bite victims because it means they don’t have to prove the dog owner was negligent if they were bitten by a dog when it was off leash and off the owner’s property.
That said, one of the biggest challenges with West Virginia dog bite lawsuits is finding insurance to pay the claim. That’s one of the reasons why it’s important to speak with an experienced dog bite lawyer if you have been injured by a dog in West Virginia. Another reason that is important is accurately claiming all of your past and future damages under West Virginia law. That’s a difficult calculation that the insurance adjuster will likely dispute.
W. Va. Code §19-20-20 also states, “Is unlawful for any person to “own, keep or harbor any dog known by him to be vicious, dangerous, or in the habit of biting or attacking other persons, whether or not such dog wears a tag or muzzle,” and any violation constitutes a misdemeanor offense pursuant to W. Va. Code §19-20-19.
For more details, see our page about West Virginia dog bite laws.
Dog Bite Statistics — Children are Most Vulnerable
Almost 80 million families in the U.S. have dogs. Most dogs are friendly, playful and part of the family. However, it’s important to remember that dogs have different instincts than humans and some are trained to attack.
More than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year. Unfortunately, more than half of dog bite victims are children. In 2012, about one-third of all dog bite fatality victims were either visiting or living temporarily with the dog’s owner when the fatal attack occurred.
Dog owners are responsible for their animals, and there are leash and West Virginia dog bite laws dog owners must abide by. If you or your child have suffered a dog bite, you know that an attack is physical and emotionally traumatizing. Fortunately, an experienced West Virginia dog bite lawyer can help dog bite victims recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, scars, and pain and suffering.
Free Case Evaluation From a West Virginia Dog Bite Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been bitten or attacked by a dog or other animal, we invite you to call us toll-free 1-877-943-WEST (9378) for a no-obligation, free case evaluation. Our Charleston, West Virginia dog bite attorney has the skill, experience, and resources to get you the compensation you deserve, and there’s never a fee unless we recover compensation for you. Please visit our dog bite statistics page for more information on how to avoid a dog bite.
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I was bitten in the face by a dog this year and had to get lawyer. I have never had to deal with a lawyer before so I was very nervous. Someone I work with recommended someone but I did research and found they had a shady background. After doing a lot of research, all of the lawyers I found had mixed reviews except one which had a ton of 5 Star Reviews! That was West Lawfirm.
Lance Bork