A dog bite can be much more than a minor injury. An attack can leave a child or adult with deep wounds, permanent scarring, nerve damage, infection and emotional trauma. In more serious cases, an injured person may need surgery or other ongoing medical care long after the attack itself.
At Johnson, Mulholland, Cochrane, Cochrane, Yung & Engler, P.L.C., our attorneys help people injured by dogs understand their rights under Iowa law. Our lawyers serve Fort Dodge and communities throughout North-Central and Northwest Iowa, providing local personal injury representation when an animal attack causes serious harm.
These cases can become confusing when the dog owner says the animal has never been aggressive before or insists there was no way to anticipate the attack. That may sound important, but Iowa law does not necessarily make a dog’s previous behavior the deciding factor. Understanding what the law actually requires can help you separate those arguments from the facts that matter to your claim.
You may have heard that a dog owner cannot be held responsible unless the dog has bitten someone before. That is not generally how Iowa’s dog-owner liability law works.
Under Iowa law, a dog owner may be liable for damages when the dog attacks or attempts to bite a person. The injured person generally does not have to show that the owner already knew the dog was dangerous or that the animal had previously bitten someone.
This distinction can be important when an owner insists that a dog had always been friendly or had never attacked anyone before. A lack of previous aggressive behavior does not necessarily prevent an injured person from pursuing a claim.
Our Fort Dodge dog bite attorneys can investigate the circumstances of the attack, determine how Iowa law applies and identify the losses that may be recoverable. Damages are the financial and nonfinancial losses for which an injured person may seek compensation.
Iowa’s dog-owner liability statute contains an exception when the injured person was committing an unlawful act that directly contributed to the injury. Whether that exception applies depends on the circumstances surrounding the attack.
If an owner or insurance company argues that your actions contributed to what happened, you do not have to accept that conclusion without question. A lawyer can review the facts and determine how the law applies to your particular situation.
The seriousness of a dog attack is not always apparent from the size of the initial wound. Bites and other animal attacks can result in injuries that require extensive treatment or continue affecting an injured person after the wound has healed.
Dog bite injuries may include:
Some people may require reconstructive surgery, rehabilitation or additional medical treatment. Visible scars can be especially difficult for children and people who suffer injuries to the face, hands or other exposed areas.
The effects can also interfere with ordinary parts of daily life. Pain or reduced movement may make it harder to work, care for family members or participate in activities you previously enjoyed. For someone who has experienced a frightening attack, the emotional effects may continue even after the physical wounds begin to improve.
Our attorneys look beyond the immediate wound when evaluating a dog bite claim. Understanding how an injury has affected your health, work and daily life can be important when determining the full extent of your losses.
Questions can arise quickly after a dog attack. The owner may dispute what happened, an insurance company may ask for information or witnesses may have different recollections of the incident. Evidence can help establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and document the injuries it caused.
Medical records can show the nature of the wounds and treatment required. Photographs may document injuries, scarring and the location where the attack occurred. Witness information and records identifying the dog and its owner may also become important as a claim develops.
The importance of particular evidence will depend on what is disputed. In one case, the central question may be exactly how the attack occurred. In another, there may be little disagreement about the attack but significant disagreement over the seriousness or long-term effects of the injuries. Building the claim around the issues that are actually contested helps keep the focus on evidence that matters.
Our lawyers can help gather and evaluate relevant evidence rather than leaving you to determine on your own what matters legally. We can also communicate with insurance companies, investigate disputed facts and explain how Iowa law may affect your claim.
A serious animal attack can create financial losses as well as physical and emotional consequences. The compensation available depends on the facts of the case and the nature of the injuries.
A dog bite claim may involve losses such as:
Determining the value of a claim involves more than adding up the bills that have already arrived. When injuries have lasting effects, our attorneys can evaluate how those consequences may affect an injured person’s future as well.
When you have been injured, you should not have to feel like another file being handled by a distant law firm. Our lawyers have deep roots in Iowa and serve clients from our Fort Dodge and Gowrie law offices.
Our attorneys understand the communities of North-Central and Northwest Iowa because they live and work here. We combine the capabilities of an established Iowa law firm with the personal attention of lawyers who remain connected to the people and communities they serve.
That local presence can be especially valuable when you are already dealing with medical care, time away from work and the disruption that follows a serious injury. You should be able to ask your attorney questions, understand what is happening with your claim and know who is handling your case. Our lawyers believe those things are part of providing effective legal representation, not extras.
For someone recovering from a dog attack, that means having an attorney who can answer questions, deal with insurance issues and help determine the next legal steps. Our law firm can investigate the circumstances of the attack and pursue an appropriate resolution based on the facts of the case.
Dog bites can happen in neighborhoods, on private property or in other places where people and animals come into contact. Wherever an attack occurs, our Fort Dodge lawyers focus on the facts that determine responsibility and the impact the injuries have had on the person who was hurt.
If you or someone in your family has been injured in a dog bite or animal attack, our attorneys can help you understand your options. We represent injured people in Fort Dodge and throughout North-Central and Northwest Iowa.
You do not need to determine on your own whether the dog had a history of aggression or how Iowa’s dog-owner liability law applies. Talk with a lawyer who can review what happened and explain the next steps.
Contact our firm to speak with an Iowa personal injury attorney about a dog bite or animal attack.
