Connecticut Dog Bite Lawyer

Dog Bite Lawyer Serving Fairfield and New Haven Counties

Being attacked by a dog can be traumatic and life-changing for adults and children alike. A serious dog bite can cause significant injuries, including scarring, nerve damage, puncture wounds, or infections. It can also cause ongoing mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder or panic attacks. You are entitled to compensation for the harm caused by a dog, even one that the owner claims has never done something like that before. By speaking to an experienced dog bite lawyer after the attack, you may be able to collect damages for the physical, psychological, and property-related harm the animal caused.

Helping You Recover from a Dog Attack

If you or a loved one were bitten by a dog in Fairfield or New Haven County, the owner or “keeper” of the animal is responsible for the harm it caused, even if the dog has no history of aggression. Connecticut’s dog bite laws hold dog owners strictly responsible for damage the animal does to another person or property (including injuries to another dog). This is “strict liability”. As the injured party, you are not required to show that the owner was careless or negligent in his or her supervision of the animal, just that damage was caused, the dog caused it, and the defendant is the owner or keeper of the dog.

However, strict liability doesn’t mean that every dog bite lawsuit is assured success. The statute allows the dog’s owner (or keeper) to raise certain defenses by claiming that the person injured was:

• Trespassing on the property (i.e. the dog was guarding the property)
• Committing another tort when attacked (i.e. the dog was protecting someone or something on the property)
• Teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog (i.e. the dog was defending itself)

Personal injury attorney Stephen Lebedevitch understands the Connecticut dog bite statute, and the arguments dog owners will raise to avoid paying for the harm their animal caused. He can help you anticipate and prepare for these defenses, carefully examining the circumstances around the attack to show that the injury wasn’t caused by anything the injured person had done.

Protecting Your Children from Dog Bite Injuries

Unfortunately, children are some of the most common victims of dog bites. Young children may not understand how to interact with an animal, or be able to read the signs that a dog is about to strike. A childhood dog bite injury can affect a person for life, causing phobias, scarring, and even permanent disabilities they will never outgrow. Connecticut law assumes that children under the age of seven are not responsible for their dog bite injuries. To raise the same defenses against a child, the dog owner must prove that the child was trespassing, harassing the animal, or causing some other harm.

An experienced dog bite attorney, Stephen has handled numerous cases. He can help defend you, your child and your family from dog owners unwilling to take responsibility for their animals. He will help you identify and prove your losses, and will hold the liable party accountable for the injuries that you or your child has suffered.

Contact a Connecticut Dog Bite Lawyer For a Free Consultation

Based in Fairfield, Connecticut, The Lebedevitch Law Firm handles dog attack cases throughout Fairfield and New Haven counties. Contact The Lebedevitch Law Firm today to schedule your free consultation.