Roanoke, Virginia Dog Bite Lawyer

It can happen without warning – a dog attacks from out of the blue. You, or a loved one in your family, are left with not only physical scars, but also emotional trauma from the experience. Each year, hundreds of children and adults are victims of dog bites or attacks, facing not only physical injuries but also financial burdens such as lost wages and medical expenses. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 4.7 million dog bites occur in the U.S. each year.

Victims of dog attacks may be entitled to compensation for their injuries, including future medical expenses and physical therapy. Some of these animals have bitten before, while others have not, and while certain breeds may have a reputation for aggressiveness, even a dog that has never bitten before can cause severe injury. If you or someone you know has been bitten by a dog, contact our office today to schedule a free consultation and protect your right to compensation.

In Virginia, there’s a special rule when it comes to dog bites called the “one bite rule.” This rule sounds like a dog can bite someone once without getting its owner in trouble, but it’s a bit more complex. The rule actually means if the dog’s owner knows their dog can be dangerous and doesn’t do anything to stop it from hurting someone, then they can be in trouble with the law, even from the first bite.

Imagine if a dog has a habit of chasing after the local squirrels aggressively and one day, it decides to bite a passerby; its owner can be held responsible because they should have known better and kept their dog in check.

Now, there’s also something called “negligence” in Virginia’s dog bite laws. Negligence is when a dog owner is careless, and someone gets bitten because of that. For example, if someone lets their known-to-be aggressive dog run around a park full of kids without a leash and a child gets bitten, that’s being negligent. There are also local rules in some places in Virginia that say dogs need to be on a leash when in public. If a dog owner ignores this rule and their dog bites someone, they could be held responsible for that.

The outcomes of these cases of animal attacks can be determined by various factors. How severe are your dog bite injuries? What was happening before the attack occurred? Where were you?