If you’ve been bitten by a dog in Bellefontaine, Ohio, don’t hesitate to call the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis at (419) 871-4247 for a free consultation. You deserve compensation, and our experienced Bellefontaine dog bite lawyers can help you fight to maximize your recovery.
As top-rated Ohio trial attorneys with 150+ years of combined experience representing injury victims and their families, we’ve helped clients recover tens of millions of dollars in life-changing monetary awards. Don’t navigate the consequences of a dog bite injury alone.
Trust our award-winning team to help you hold the owner fully accountable for your medical care, lost wages, and suffering. Contact us to arrange a free case review today.
Why Choose the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis for Help After a Dog Attack in Bellefontaine, OH
Dog bite victims in Bellefontaine, OH, trust the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis because we’re compassionate, driven, respected legal advocates with decades of experience handling complex personal injury cases.
Members of our team are recognized as leaders in personal injury litigation, with some acknowledged as:
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40
- Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers
- Members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Super Lawyers
- Best Lawyers
- Members of the American Association for Justice
The dog owner’s insurance company won’t want to pay you a dime for your injuries. The adjuster is already working on ways to deny liability and minimize your recovery. If you want to force the kind of case result you deserve, you’ll want our Bellefontaine personal injury attorneys on your side. We investigate fast, preserve critical evidence, and build cases that make our clients’ lives better.
Call our law office today to get started. Your first consultation is free.
Understanding Ohio Dog Bite Law
In Ohio, dog owners are strictly liable for dog attacks. If a person’s dog bites someone, the owner is automatically liable for an injury or death that results, even if the dog has never been aggressive in the past or the owner is unaware of the dog’s history.
Practically speaking, this means that you don’t have to prove the owner was negligent to recover compensation for your dog bite injury. You have the burden of showing that you were bitten by a dog owned by or under the control of the defendant, and that you’ve suffered injuries.
Dog owners can push back by arguing that you provoked the animal or were trespassing when you were attacked. You may need to present evidence to dispute these claims and ensure the dog’s owner is held accountable for your injuries.
Who Else Can Be Liable for My Dog Bite Injuries?
A dog’s owner might not be solely liable for your dog bite injuries. If you were bitten on someone else’s property, the owner of the premises could be on the hook for your damages, too.
Property owners often have a duty to protect guests from foreseeable threats to their safety. If a landlord, business owner, or private homeowner knows there’s a vicious dog on the premises and doesn’t warn you or take steps to separate the dog from visitors, they may have breached their duty of care under Ohio law.
If you’re bitten by a dog because of the owner’s negligence, you can hold them at least partly responsible for any resulting medical bills, lost wages, or suffering.
How Much Is My Dog Bite Lawsuit Worth?
Every dog attack is different. Every victim of a dog bite injury faces different financial burdens, physical limitations, and life changes. As a result, there’s no standard value for a dog bite case. Many factors are relevant when calculating a claim’s potential value.
These factors include:
- What types of injuries did you suffer when you were bitten by the dog?
- How severe were your injuries?
- Did you need to be hospitalized?
- What type of medical care do you need?
- How long will you require treatment before you achieve maximum medical improvement?
- Can you still work while you’re recovering from your dog bite injury?
- If not, how much time will you miss at work?
- Will the dog bite have long-term consequences for your income and earning capacity?
- What are the dog owner’s insurance policy limits?
- How old are you?
- Will the dog bite injury affect your day-to-day quality of life?
The specific ways in which your life changes because of a dog bite will dictate your recovery. More serious dog bite injuries tend to generate higher costs and cause more suffering, so they’re generally worth more than moderate injuries.
Never underestimate what your case could be worth, even if you don’t think your injuries are catastrophic. Working with our Bellefontaine personal injury lawyers can help you realize your claim’s potential and give you the best opportunity to recover all of the money you need and deserve.
What Damages Can I Recover if I’ve Been Bitten by a Dog?
When you’ve been bitten by a dog in Bellefontaine, you’ll have the right to pursue two different compensatory damages from the dog’s owner: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages cover the present and future financial consequences of your dog bite injuries, including:
- Medical expenses
- Disability
- Lost wages and income
- Diminished earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Personal care assistance
- Rehabilitation and therapy
Non-economic damages acknowledge the pain, life changes, and trauma you’ve endured as the victim of a vicious dog bite, including:
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Chronic physical pain
- Embarrassment
If there’s evidence that the dog’s owner was grossly negligent or intentionally had the dog attack you, then punitive damages could also be on the table. However, in Ohio, punitive damages are only available in limited circumstances. The possibility of punitive damages may also be considered during settlement negotiations.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
Millions of people across the United States are bitten by dogs every year. Nearly half of all dog bite victims are children, who are at an increased risk of suffering serious, often disfiguring and permanent injuries.
At the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis, we represent children, adults, and families who are struggling because they’ve suffered all types of dog bite injuries, including:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Puncture wounds
- Nerve damage
- Crush injuries
- Cuts and lacerations
- Degloving injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Leg injuries
- Infection
- Avulsion injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
The steps you take after you’ve been bitten by a dog are critical. Always document the injury as best you can, report the attack to the police and/or property owner, and then seek immediate medical attention.
These actions will not only protect your health and well-being, but also lay the framework for a strong legal claim through which you can hold the dog’s owner (and, in some cases, others) liable for your costs and trauma.
What Does It Cost To Pursue a Dog Bite Case?
Our Bellefontaine dog bite attorneys handle cases on a contingency fee basis. There’s no up-front cost to hire us to fight for you. Our fees are entirely dependent on your case results. We don’t get paid until you do. Our fees are a predetermined percentage of your settlement or any verdict recovered at trial.
If we don’t recover compensation for your dog bite case, you don’t owe us a thing.
How Long Do I Have To File a Dog Bite Lawsuit in Ohio?
Most Ohio dog bite lawsuits are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. This gives you until the second anniversary of the date you were bitten by a dog to formally pursue a claim against the owner or another liable party.
The statute of limitations can change or be extended in certain situations, especially when a child is bitten by a dog. Ohio allows the statute of limitations to toll until the child’s 18th birthday, effectively giving until the child’s 20th birthday to bring a dog bite lawsuit.
Don’t let the filing deadline act as your starting point. Evidence can disappear and become less reliable as time goes on. Prompt action can ensure that our dog bite attorneys are able to build the strongest possible claim and put you in the best position to maximize your recovery.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Bellefontaine Dog Bite Lawyer
Call the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis for help if you’ve suffered dog bite injuries in Bellefontaine, Ohio. You deserve to be compensated, and we’re ready to hold the dog’s owner fully accountable for the trauma and suffering you’ve endured.
Our Bellefontaine dog bite attorneys have over 150 years of collective experience, and we know just how much is riding on your personal injury case. We’ll invest the experience, resources, and dedication required to help you achieve the best possible results.
Your first consultation is free, so contact us for assistance today.
