Dogs are indeed referred to as 'man's best friend' and for good reason. Dogs are well known for their companionship to their owner and family. Dogs can be loving, loyal, playful, and an amazing bundle of joy for the youth to the elderly. Dogs are even capable of helping blind people and helping track down drugs and drug dealers for police. Usually, dogs are treated as family, and the dog treats humans as family.
ALL dogs are not considered family friendly though. Statistics reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that the number of dog bites and dog attacks every year are in the millions. Medical attention is necessary for one out of every six bites or attacks. Dog attacks are one of the top five reasons that kids are forced to goto the hospital each year. This is the truth and you should be aware of it. Dog attacks can result in severe injury and even death.
Palmer Law has represented many victims of dog bites and dog attacks that have caused major injuries that require long-term hospitalization and sometimes surgery for skin grafting and/or reconstructive surgery. Debbie knows excellent plastic surgeons and other medical specialists that have your health as their priority. The injuries from dog bites and attacks can create drastic scars, but getting it treated properly can reduce scarring and improve the attacked area immensely. As you know, dog bites can be dramatic and create trauma for individuals. Sometimes, emotional and psychological issues need to be taken care of as well . A common case with Palmer Law is a dog bite occurring in a neighborhood where the dog has attacked a child and it caused puncture wounds that need stitches. Much less frequently, catastrophic cases occur. For example, a woman was attacked by three runaway dogs causing numerous puncture wounds that required multiple skin grafting surgeries due to the depth and severity of the wounds.
We must be thankful that Michigan law is harsh on the owners of dogs. The dog owner is forced to be responsible for their pet, and also held responsible for the victim's injuries due to the dog bite or attack. In Michigan, the dog bite statute imposes strict liability, meaning absolute or complete responsibility, against the dog owner where it is shown that (1) there was a dog bite or attack of a person, (2) there was no provocation (i.e., taunting, hitting, or other action that might cause an ordinary dog to react by biting), and (3) the dog bite victim was lawfully at the location where the bite occurred (MCL 287.351). The main factor to establishing strict liability is developing the factual evidence to show an absence of provocation on the part of the victim attacked by the dog. There are other theories of liability in which a victim's claim can be presented to the dog owner, proving that they're responsible for the dog attack where injury occurs.
Depending on the case, criminal charges can be pressed on the dog owner... when the dog is determined to be very dangerous and has caused severe injury or death to a human being. Based on the proof and facts of the case, the dog owner may be fined, ordered to perform community service, and/or sentenced to serving time in jail. Usually when a dog attack happens, the dog is required to be detained at the owner’s home or the local Animal Control Department. Under Michigan law, however, some dogs have to be put down to prevent harming more people in the future. (MCL 287.321).
Attorney Debbie Palmer has successfully represented victims of dog bites and dog attacks for years on end. In her experience, certain cases have acquired compensation of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mrs. Palmer believes strongly that just like all the other types of personal injury claims she handles, a dedicated trial lawyer is critical to obtain the very best recovery outcome for the victim, including the medical billing, treatment, and therapy... including compensation for pain and suffering, disfigurement, and any other long-term or permanent implications a person is forced to live with from a dog attack or a dog bite.