Dog Bite Injury Attorneys in Chicago
Dogs are truly a man's best friend. They are loyal, playful and protective. Dogs make excellent companions! That being said, owning and housing a dog takes responsibility. Dogs should be properly leashed under the rules and regulations of the municipality where the dog is located. If a dog injures a person who is not provoking it, the dog's owner could be liable for any injuries that the dog causes.
Dog bites can be painful and even deadly. In a recent study published in the American Journal of Otolaryngology, researchers found that the patients most likely to suffer injuries to the head and neck from dog bites are children. Dog bite injuries can cause serious trauma, infection, scarring and pain. Often, the bite injuries require surgery and extensive follow-up care. Surgeries can involves cleaning out the site of the bite to prevent or treat infection, as well as, plastic surgery.
Dog bite infections can be very serious. The bacteria, capnocytophaga canimorsus is a pathogen transmitted to humans primarily via the saliva of otherwise healthy dogs and cats. This is only one type of pathogen that can be transmitted to humans when a bite takes place. Sepsis, which is a dangerous blood infection, can result from dog bites.
Under Illinois law, "If a dog or other animal, without provocation, attacks or injures any person who is peaceably conducting himself in any place where he may lawfully be, the owner of such dog or other animal is liable in damages to such person for the full amount of the injury sustained." 510 ILCS 5/16 (West 1996). If you or a loved one have been injured by a dog, call us at 312-327-1840 or contact us today via our personal injury website for a free consultation on your legal rights.
