Broken BonesCaused by Dog Bites

Being bitten by a dog may result in traumatic injuries, including broken bones. While you should take all dog bites seriously, fractures and breaks often indicate a more powerful bite force and severe attack. As personal injury attorneys in California, we have seen the physical, emotional, and financial toll these incidents take.

Victims may require surgery, implants, casts, rehabilitation therapy, time off work, and accumulate notable medical costs for repairing damages.

It’s vital to understand your rights and explore your legal options if you or a loved one suffered a broken bone caused by dog bites. A knowledgeable dog bite attorney can assign strict liability, file claims to pursue maximum compensation, negotiate skillfully, take a case to court if needed, and compassionately guide clients during litigation.

Typical Dog Bite Broken Bone Injuries

Some of the more frequent broken bones from dog bites include:

• Hand and Finger Fractures: When individuals attempt to block a dog’s mouth during an attack, their hands and fingers often sustain breaks and other serious injuries. These sensitive areas contain many tiny bones that dogs can easily crush.
• Arm and Leg Breaks: A dog shaking its head while biting an arm or knocking down a person can fracture or break bones in the upper limbs. Weight-bearing bones like femurs and tibias are especially vulnerable.
• Rib and Chest Trauma: Large, powerful breeds can leave jaw bite marks on the chest and fracture or break ribs during a mauling. Due to the pounds of pressure per square inch of force applied, this attack may cause a collapsed lung or internal organ damage.
• Skull and Facial Fractures: Dog bites to the face and head sometimes penetrate deeper than the skin and muscles to damage the fragile bones around sensitive organs like the nose, eyes, and mouth. Victims may require physical therapy or reconstructive surgery.
• Spinal Injuries: Though less common than limb or chest trauma, spinal cord damage does occur when smaller bones of the neck and back break during a dog attack, resulting in partial or total paralysis.

As you can imagine, bite injuries that break a bone necessitate immediate medical care and extended recovery periods that disrupt a victim’s daily life and finances. Our firm helps clients seek legal remedies to cover short and long-term implications.

Signs and Symptoms of Broken Bones from Dog Bites

In addition to visible wounds, dog bites that break bones may display these signs revealing urgent medical care is required:

• Severe pain at the injury site that intensifies with movement or pressure.
• Visible bone fragments puncturing through the skin.
• Bruising, swelling, and inflammation around the suspected fracture.
• Inability to use affected limb or body part without intense pain
• Numbness or reduced sensation around the wound and to extremities.
• Fingers or limbs sitting at strange angles compared to the uninjured side.
• Hearing or feeling a snap or pop at the time of the bite.
• Abnormal lumps or protrusions under the skin.

CAUTION: Even when initial X-rays show bones, subtle hairline fractures may still exist. Continued issues with pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, or using the injured area mandate seeing an orthopedic specialist. Despite addressing apparent damage, it’s essential that you monitor wounds for infection over the first 48 hours.

Your Legal Rights as a Dog Bite Broken Bone Victim

California adheres to “strict liability” statutes for dog bite incidents – meaning owners are responsible for injuries their dogs inflict regardless of past aggression or the preventability of the incident.

However, victims must still show:

• They were lawfully on private or public property when the bite occurred.
• The dog owner failed to restrain their pet reasonably.
• The incident caused physical injury and concrete financial damages.

By handling the complex legal, medical, insurance, and evidentiary aspects of an injury claim, a dog bite lawyer can make this burden of proof less demanding to navigate. Strict liability simply improves a victim’s likelihood of reaching a favorable settlement.

Establishing Owner Negligence

While strict liability removes the need to show the defendant’s intent or negligence, proving the owner did not reasonably restrain the dog strengthens allegations that irresponsible care precipitated injuries.

Our team gathers the following evidence to establish the dog owner’s negligence:

• Letting dogs freely roam off-leash in public spaces.
• Failure to properly secure canines in yards with adequate fencing or chains on home property.
• Not muzzling animals with known aggressive histories.
• Refusal to train for K9s with past incidents and behavioral issues.
• Breed or train dogs to protect, fight, or be aggressive.
• Violating local dangerous dog breed ordinances or restrictions.
• Non-compliance with posted warning signs about dog presence.

Any proof that owners contributed to bite incidents through negligence or violations helps ensure victims recoup damages.

California Statute of Limitations on Dog Bite Injury Claims

Victims must file a personal injury claim before the statute of limitations expires to take legal action over a dog bite injury. In California, although different statutes may apply, typically the limit is:

• Two years from the date of injury for adults.
• Until age 20 for minors – providing ample time to determine the total impact of trauma once reaching adulthood.

However, certain exceptions may allow extra time, such as discovering the bite caused disease transmission or the owner declaring bankruptcy to shield them from dog bite lawsuits.

Not knowing precise deadlines risks losing your right to pursue financial recovery. Retaining legal counsel means we can file your claim immediately, even when complications or full-scope injuries have yet to appear.

Rightful Compensation for Damages

Among the dog attack clients with broken bones, none of them imagined their medical costs would compound rapidly and require legal action to remedy. Expenses frequently surpass $50,000, reaching one million dollars in severe, disfiguring cases. Yet many dog bite victims carry no insurance and cannot independently cover these out-of-pocket expenses alone.

Having practiced strict liability law for dog bite victims for over two decades, our legal team at LA DOG BITE LAW leverages their experience to negotiate compensation relentlessly.

We strive to secure coverage for all tangible and intangible documented damages, including:

• Medical bills like hospitalization, surgery, implants or devices, imaging, testing, doctor visits, medications, and therapies.
• Rehabilitative costs for physical, occupational, speech, and massage therapies.
• Lost income for missing work during recovery periods.
• Reduced earning capacity if disabilities impact your career.
• Mental health counseling.
• Pain and suffering.
• Emotional trauma.
• Loss of enjoyment of life.
• Disfigurement damages from bite scars or amputations.
• Wrongful death expenses when fatalities occur from infections or trauma.

The experienced attorneys at LA Dog Bite Law offer honest case assessments while maximizing potential settlements and favorable jury awards. We only collect payment when your claim succeeds.

Taking Action After Bitten by a Dog

In the chaotic moments after a dog bite, it may not be clear exactly what injuries have occurred or how serious they are. But you should take several steps quickly to mitigate your future damages.

Seek Medical Care

Whether bite wounds bleed profusely or appear minor, get medical attention. Evaluations help diagnose broken bones, nerve damage, infections, and other issues. X-rays, CT scans, and bloodwork ensure proper treatment.

Document the Incident

Pictures of injuries, dog owner contact details, veterinary records for the animal, and witness accounts help verify what happened for insurance and legal claims.

Report Bite to Authorities

Alerting animal control, public health departments, and law enforcement creates an official account of the event for reports and investigations.

Contact an Attorney

Speaking with a dog bite lawyer protects your rights when negligence occurs and explores your options to recover damages. Complex cases with severe injuries often benefit from legal guidance.

While focusing on health and safety should take priority, talking to a dog bite attorney quickly after an incident that caused broken bones can impact certain legal time limits and evidence, assisting your future claim. Our personal injury law firm offers free case evaluations to discuss your experience confidentially.

How LA Dog Bite Lawyers Help You Recover After a Dog Attack

We give each client complete personal attention – learning your unique needs, clearly explaining options, fighting relentlessly for maximum compensation, and remaining by your side until the final settlement.

We further distinguish ourselves by:

• Offering real answers during free consultations – no inflated promises or pressure.
• Handling cases rigorously – standing behind you fully.
• Making dog owners liable – applying California’s dog bite laws
• Offering a contingency fee structure – fees charged only if we win your case.
• Building injury claims meticulously – no detail gets missed.
• Possessing deep knowledge of strict liability laws – and using them to your advantage.
• Understanding trauma suffered by victims – to secure coverage for tangible and intangible damages.

If you or someone you love endured broken bones or other harm from a dog bite, LA Dog Bite Law encourages you to schedule a free case assessment right away.

Contact Us Today to Explore Your Legal Options After Being Injured

Picture yourself emerging from this painful chapter renewed with all the resources needed for proper medical care, lasting recovery, and financial stability. Our entire staff feels driven to guide victims of negligence and injustice on this journey.

Contact us to book your consultation. There’s no obligation for this free, confidential case review and discussion of your legal rights. Justice, care, and community wait on the other side.