One of the most traumatic events any individual can experience is that of an animal attack. While the attack may result in physical injuries to the victim it is likely to leave emotional scars as well. The key in all this is knowing what to do after the incident in order to be made whole. 

A dog bite attorney stated the following, “One of the first steps after the initial attack is to identify the specific dog and the owner. In order to do this it might require some research as the animal may not attack the victim in the same area the owner is. In other situations it might be that the dog walker is a friend of the dog owner. However, once you have discovered who the owner is it is necessary to acquire his or her contact details in order for you to pursue a legal claim against them. But this is dependent on the extent of the bite or injury and how much it costs to recover.”

It is definitely of the utmost importance to seek medical or emergency care before seeking legal action. In some cases the victim may need to call emergency services or have someone near the attacks do so if they are unable to reach their phone or make a call. Whether your injuries are extensive or not it is important to note that animal attacks involve diseases such as rabies, which require treatment as your injuries may become infected. In addition, contacting medical services provides a paper trail of the attack event in case of legal action being taken against the owner. By contacting Anchorage Alaska attorneys who have experience handling dog bite claims, they may provide additional information about how to proceed after receiving medical attention.

A Crowson Law Group dog bite attorney stated the following, “Alaska follows the ‘one bite rule’, which basically means that a person can be held liable for a dog attack if the dog had the dangerous propensity to inflict an injury and the defendant knew about it or should have known about it. The term propensity basically means that the dog has a natural tendency to behave in a dangerous way. Dangerous dogs are defined as any dog which while unprovoked has ever bitten or attacked a human being. Liability is imposed on the grounds of negligence, negligence per se as well as strict liability.” That being said, Alaska is one of the only states in the US that has no specific statute covering dog bite liability. Dog bite cases are based on court decisions handed down in the state over the years.

Whether the dog owner knows or has reason to know that their dog is aggressive, it is not necessary for the dog to have bitten someone before. Dog bites fall under personal injury claims and have a statute of limitation of two years in the state of Alaska.

For legal advice and representation on dog bites contact a personal injury attorneys handling dog bite matters.

About the company:

The Crowson Law Group is a law firm of renowned professionals who specialize in personal injury matters. For an Anchorage Attorney contact the Crowson Law Group.