New Jersey Personal Injury Blog
New Jersey Dog Attack Injures 4-Year-Old Girl
A 4-year-old girl recently had her ear bitten off by a dog in Alloway Township, New Jersey. The Gloucester County Times reports that the girl was on the dog owner’s property at the time of the attack. The girl required 65 stitches to reattach the ear, and will need surgeries in the future as a result of the attack.
Official charges against the owner were made, including owning a vicious dog and owning a potentially dangerous dog. Officials say this is not the first time charges have been brought against the dog owner. It is not known at this time if the dog owner will be forced to euthanize his dog as a result of this attack.
Dog bites can have devastating and lifelong consequences, especially for young victims. Injuries may include severe scarring (the need for surgical intervention), and, the need for psychological counseling.
Those who have been injured in dog attacks may be able to file personal injury claims against a negligent dog and/or property owner. New Jersey law requires a plaintiff (victim of an attack) to prove who owns the dog, that the dog attacked the plaintiff, and, that the plaintiff was either on public property or legally on private property at the time of the attack. Under New Jersey law, the dog owner is not automatically 100 percent liable for the dog’s actions. In some cases, the victim of the attack may be held partially responsible. This is true in cases where the victim may have, for example, provoked or abused the animal. If the victim of the attack wrongfully provoked the animal or was illegally trespassing at the time of the attack, they may be precluded from successfully bringing a claim for any injuries sustained.
It is important that one retain the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer to handle cases arising out of dog bite attack. The New Jersey dog bite lawyers at Blume Goldfaden have a long history of successfully representing victims of these vicious attacks. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, call our offices at 973-635-5400 for a no-cost consultation.
Elderly Woman Injured in New Jersey Pit Bull Attack
A 70-year-old New Jersey woman was severely injured in a dog bite incident after two pit bulls brutally attacked her as she was walking on the street. According to an ABC news report, the woman was on her way to work when two dogs started following her. The dogs jumped on the woman biting her face, legs and arms, even ripping away pieces of skin and large sections of her scalp. At the time of this serious attack, the animals were being cared for by the owner’s friend. Police have issued summonses to the owner for having unleashed dogs, which is a violation of municipal code.
New Jersey has a “strict liability statute” when it comes to dog bite incidents. This means that a dog owner is legally liable for all of the damages inflicted upon a dog bite victim, even if the dog had never previously exhibited signs of being vicious or dangerous. According to New Jersey Statutes section 4:19-16: “The owner of any dog which shall bite a person while such person is on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, shall be liable for such damages as may be suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of such dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness.”
If you, or, someone you love has been seriously injured in a dog attack, you may want to contact an experienced New Jersey dog bite accident lawyer at Blume Goldfaden. If it is determined that you have a valid dog bite claim, our skilled attorneys will pursue your claim to obtain compensation on your behalf for: loss of wages, physical pain and suffering, scarring, psychological and emotional distress, and, to help cover medical expenses and costs associated with any future reconstructive surgery. Contact Blume Goldfaden today at 973-635-5400 for a no-cost consultation.