Atlanta Child Dog Bite Lawyer
According to estimates by the Humane Society, children account for over one-half of all dog bite victims in the United States. The American Veterinary Medical Association further clarifies that most dog bites to minors happen to children aged five to nine years old. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that children are more likely to suffer severe injuries in a dog attack and require medical attention than adult dog bite victims, and one study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that dog bites are the number two leading cause of emergency room visits for children.
At Zagoria Law, we deal with dog bite injury cases every day, and often the victims are young children. We understand the physical and emotional impacts a dog bite injury can have on a young child’s life, and we also know how dog owners and insurance companies can be quick to put the blame for an animal attack on the child victim. Our experienced and dedicated Atlanta dog bite injury lawyers take special care and concern when dealing with young victims. You can be assured we will do all we can to hold a negligent dog owner accountable and see to it that your child receives all the medical care and compensation necessary to deal with the trauma and aftermath of a dog bite injury.
If your child has suffered a dog bite injury in Atlanta, call Zagoria Law at 404-653-0023 for a free consultation and immediate assistance.
Dog Owners Have a Duty to Keep Children Safe From Dog Bites
Just because dog bites afflict children more often than adults, this doesn’t mean that the child was doing anything inappropriate or provocating to cause the bite. Children, especially the younger they are, simply don’t yet have the capacity or experience to appreciate the danger dogs can pose, and they don’t have the skillset to understand when a dog’s body language or other cues might mean the dog is going to be aggressive.
Because of these facts, dog owners should take care to manage their dogs appropriately to keep children around them safe. This includes keeping the animal in an enclosure on the property if it is vicious or has dangerous propensities, with a locked perimeter to keep children out. When out in public, dog owners should keep their dogs on a leash as required or at all times be in control of the animal’s movements. Georgia’s Responsible Dog Ownership Law specifically states that a vicious dog can’t be left unattended with minors.
These are not just general safety tips; they are legal requirements. Georgia dog bite law holds dog owners liable for dog bites and attacks by vicious or dangerous dogs due to the owner’s negligent management of the animal or allowing the dog to roam off-leash in public or an unfenced yard at home. At Zagoria Law, we fight to hold negligent dog owners fully accountable for the damage their negligence has caused to an innocent child.
Dog Bite Injuries to Children Are More Severe
A small child getting attacked by a dog is like a grown-up getting mauled by a grizzly bear in terms of both the potential physical harm and the sheer emotional terror of the attack and the psychological impact it can have. Whereas adults are more likely in a dog bite to be bitten on the hand, arm or leg, children are more apt to suffer injuries to the face, neck and head, with consequences including facial lacerations and scarring, nerve damage, and skull fractures. Children are also less able to process their emotions and experiences verbally, making them more likely to suffer severe emotional distress and suffer acute mental disorders such as anxiety or PTSD. The psychological trauma for a child after a dog bite can manifest not just in a fear of dogs or open spaces but also in ways such as nightmares and sleep disruption, bedwetting, uncontrollable crying, and regressing or becoming more attached to their parents in a dysfunctional way.
Get the Skilled and Dedicated Help You Need After a Child Dog Bite Injury in Atlanta
Dog bite injuries afflict millions of children every year, and the results are more serious than with adult victims. Child victims require medical attention at the ER or doctor’s office more than twice as often as adults. According to the CDC, dog bites hit children more often than common childhood diseases like measles, mumps and whooping cough combined, and they are more common than bicycle or skateboard accidents, playground injuries, or any other childhood injury you can think of, other than motor vehicle accidents.
Children need help after a dog bite injury, and the Atlanta dog bite injury attorneys at Zagoria Law are committed to seeing they get the care and compensation they need after a traumatizing incident that quite frankly could have been avoided had the owner been more careful as required by law. Let us help you and your child deal with the aftermath of a dog bite or animal attack and move forward toward the best outcome possible. After a dog bite injury in Atlanta, call Zagoria Law at 404-653-0023 for a free consultation. There’s no fee until after we recover compensation for you.
