Dog Bite Lawyer

Massachusetts Injury Lawyers with over 60 Years Combined Experience Representing Those Injured By Dog Bites and Dog Attacks

If you or your child has been bitten or attacked by a dog, your first priority is getting the medical attention needed.  Many of the injuries suffered as a result of a dog attack or dog bite require immediate surgical procedures and sutures to the wounds.  With facial and other wounds, it is critical to address them immediately often by plastic surgeons to avoid disfigurement and lessen visual scars. At Nadeau Harkavy LLC, we have over 60 years combined experience representing victims of dog bites and dog attacks. We help our clients receive the compensation they deserve and are sensitive to the needs and concerns of our clients especially when children are involved.  We handle all aspects of the case for you so that you can concentrate on healing as well as the emotional trauma that often occurs with these types of personal injury cases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 in 5 people bitten by a dog requires medical attention.  In the United States, over 36 % of households own at least one dog.  The CDC confirms that dogs have been proven to decrease stress, increase our exercise levels and are playmates for our children, but sometimes, man’s best friend can bite.  Children are at highest risk for dog bites and the injuries can be more severe.

The CDC suggests the following to prevent dog bites:

• Always ask if it is okay to pet someone else’s dog before reaching out to pet the dog.
• When approached by an unfamiliar dog, remain motionless.
• If a dog knocks you over, curl into a ball with your head tucked and your hands over your ears and neck.
• Immediately let an adult know about any stray dogs or dogs behaving strangely.
• Don’t run from a dog.
• Don’t panic or make loud noises.
• Don’t encourage your dog to play aggressively.
• Don’t let small children play with a dog unsupervised.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommend reporting the bite to the local animal control agency or police department because anyone who is bitten by a dog is at risk of getting rabies.  Getting the dog owner’s name, address and phone number is also recommended.

The laws in Massachusetts hold owners of dogs to a very high standard when their dogs cause harm to others.  By statute, the owner or keeper of a dog is held to strict liability for personal injury and property damage caused by the dog.  There are a few exceptions to this such as if the injured party was committing a trespass or other tort or was teasing, tormenting or abusing the dog at the time of injury.  If the injured person is a minor under the age of seven at the time of the injury, it shall be presumed the child was not committing a trespass or other tort or teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog and the burden of proof shifts to the owner to prove otherwise.

We have handled many dog bite and dog attack cases over the years for children and adults.  Some of these cases required aggressive litigation in court because the dog owners and insurance companies refused to accept responsibility for the dog attacks on children and adults.  Some of our clients suffered terrible injuries such as head trauma resulting in swelling to the brain necessitating surgery as well as serious arm and leg injuries requiring surgical intervention and plastic surgery.  Our clients also experienced extreme emotional and mental distress as a result of being viciously attacked and bitten by a dog.  We understand the psychological trauma that a victim of a dog attack experiences.  Some of our clients needed psychological counseling and therapy to address the fear of dogs and being out in the public following a dog attack or dog bite.  Our cases include children and adults riding bicycles attacked by dogs, children bitten by dogs, joggers bitten and attacked by dogs, adults attacked by dogs trying to intervene and help a child being attacked as well as family members who helplessly watched their loved one attacked by a dog.  We handle cases involving disfiguring facial scars and scars to the body from dog bites.  We work with highly regarded experts such as doctors and plastic surgeons to review and evaluate your injuries. We also handle cases involving owners or keepers of dogs such as dog sitters or even landlords who allowed a tenant to keep a vicious dog on the property.

If you or your child has been injured by a dog bite or dog attack, it is important to consult with a lawyer experienced with dog bite or dog attack cases in Massachusetts.  The lawyers at Nadeau Harkavy LLC have successfully represented victims injured by dogs across Massachusetts.  Contact us today for a free consultation at 617-674-7640.

Nadeau Harkavy LLC serves clients injured in dog bites and dog attacks in Cambridge, Boston, Somerville, Medford, Arlington, Belmont, Watertown, Malden, Newton, Lowell, Concord, Waltham, Woburn, Wellesley, Reading and throughout Massachusetts.