Middletown Dog Bite Lawyer

Many people enjoy interacting with dogs, but it is possible for a dog to bite and severely injure a person unexpectedly. If this has happened to you or a family member, it is important to know your legal options for holding the dog owner accountable. An experienced Middletown dog bite lawyer at Bartlett & Grippe can help you build your case and recover compensation for your injuries.

Representing Dog Bite Victims in Middletown, CT

The attorneys at Bartlett & Grippe have extensive professional experience representing clients in Middletown and surrounding communities of Connecticut in all types of personal injury cases, including those arising from dog attacks. We have a solid record of successful cases due to our commitment to client-focused legal counsel in every case we accept.

When you hire our firm to represent you in this type of case, you are investing in a dedicated legal advocate with the skills and experience you want on your side as you attempt to recover compensation for your damages. We will immediately set to work gathering the evidence and documentation you will need to hold the dog owner accountable for the harm their pet has caused.

Bartlett & Grippe will explain the Connecticut laws that apply to your case and the steps you will likely need to take in order to ensure the fullest recovery possible. You have a limited time to file your case, so it’s important to connect with our team at your first opportunity after the attack.

Building Your Dog Bite Case in Middletown

Connecticut enforces a strict liability law for dog owners whose pets harm others. Every dog owner in Middletown is responsible for preventing their pet from harming people. If a dog owner fails to prevent an attack, or if they are negligent in handling their dog, they face strict liability for all resulting injuries.

For strict liability to apply in a dog bite case, the victim must not have provoked the attack. The victim must also have been legally present at the location where the attack occurred. For example, a trespasser cannot file a claim against a homeowner if they were bit while illegally entering their home.

It is also possible for a dog owner to face additional liability and even criminal penalties if they were negligent in their handling of their dog in any way that contributed to the incident, or they were keeping an unreasonably dangerous dog. Once a dog has bitten someone, Connecticut law requires that it be quarantined to assess its health and temperament. It is usually returned to the owner after this assessment but may be euthanized if it is determined to be dangerous.

Claiming Compensation for Damages After a Dog Attack

The goal of a personal injury case is for the injured plaintiff to prove fault for their damages and recover compensation for those damages. The plaintiff needs to prove the total economic and noneconomic damages they suffered. It’s possible for a dog attack to result in catastrophic injuries, many of which require long-term medical care and prevent victims from working.

Your Middletown dog bite lawyer can help you accurately calculate the full scope of the economic damages you are eligible to claim, including your medical expenses, long-term medical treatment costs for severe injuries, and income you are unable to earn while you recover from your injuries. Additionally, you can also seek compensation for lost future income if your injuries are severe enough that you will not be able to work again in the future.

Bartlett & Grippe will calculate any economic losses you intend to claim from the defendant and seek compensation for your pain and suffering. Your attorney can determine a suitable figure that reflects the severity of your experience. If you sustained any life-changing injuries, your pain and suffering compensation could form a sizeable portion of your total case award.

Understanding Wrongful Death Cases

It is possible for a dog attack to result in fatal injuries. If you have lost a family member to a fatal dog attack, your Middletown dog bite lawyer at Bartlett & Grippe can help you and your family file a wrongful death suit against the dog’s owner. This type of personal injury case aims to compensate the family of the victim, effectively replacing the personal injury suit the victim could have filed if they had survived.

The plaintiff in a wrongful death case can seek compensation for damages to the estate of the deceased, lost financial support the victim can no longer provide to their family, funeral and burial expenses, and compensation for the family’s pain and suffering. Our team will do everything we can to maximize your case award so you can feel a sense of closure and obtain the compensation your family needs to handle the economic losses you have suffered.

Find Your Middletown Dog Bite Lawyer Today

If you believe you have grounds to file a personal injury claim or a wrongful death suit in response to a dog attack in Middletown, it is crucial to connect with an attorney you can trust as soon as possible to have the greatest chance of success with your case.

The right attorney can provide ongoing support through each stage of your proceedings, from establishing fault for the incident to collecting the compensation you need to recover from your damages.

At Bartlett & Grippe, we only charge our personal injury client a fee if and when we win their case and secure compensation for their damages. This eliminates any financial risk of hiring our team to represent you and makes the legal representation you need more accessible when you need it most. Our goal in every case we accept is to help our client recover as fully as state law allows.

You face a time limit for filing a personal injury or wrongful death case in Connecticut, so it is crucial that you connect with legal counsel you can trust as soon as possible. Contact the attorneys at Bartlett & Grippe today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Middletown dog bite lawyer and learn how we can assist with your recovery.