New Jersey Dog Bite Attorneys
Dog Bite Statistics
Most New Jersey dog bites cause minor injuries or even "love bites" that fail to break the skin from playing dogs. But as hundreds of Americans discover each year, bites from a dog that intends to cause harm can be deadly.
If you or a loved one was seriously hurt by an out-of-control dog, you have the legal right to hold the dog's owner responsible for the results. Under New Jersey law, it doesn't matter whether the dog has a history of violence or bad behavior, or whether its owner took reasonable care to prevent the bite. If you were attacked without provocation and you weren't on the property to commit a crime, you can ask for compensation for the medical, financial and emotional traumas that resulted.
According to a study by the American Veterinary Medicine Association, dog bites send 334,000 Americans to hospital emergency rooms each year. A 2001 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that there were 4.7 million dog bites and 6,000 bite-related hospitalizations in the United States in 1994. The agency estimates that 12 to 20 Americans die each year from bite-related injuries.
Research shows that children, especially young children, are the most likely victims of serious dog bites. Researchers believe this is in part because of children's natural energy and noise, their short stature (which puts their heads physically closer to the dog), lack of awareness of danger in younger children and risk-taking in older kids and teens.
According to the AVMA, children are 70% of the victims of fatal dog bites and more than 50% of those who require medical help after a bite.
The CDC found that kids under the age of 15 were 42% of those treated in hospitals for nonfatal dog bites, with children ages five to nine the most common victims. In a separate study, the agency found that children accounted for 80% of the victims of fatal dog bites over a two-year period. That includes three newborns, attacked in their sleep by a vicious pet.
Among adults, the most common victims of a serious dog attacks are older people and those who are injured doing work that requires them to enter private property. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about eight percent of bite victims are injured while performing duties like package and mail delivery, repairing a home or working at a veterinary clinic. Among those ages 15 to 29, the CDC reports that males were much more likely to be victims than females, while the reverse is true among adults 30 and older. Four of five adult victims in one CDC study are classified as older (age 60 or above). When adults are victims, they're more likely to sustain injuries to the arms, hands, legs and feet, while child victims are more likely to suffer injuries to the head, face and neck.
The AVMA reports that the vast majority, 90%, of bites come from dogs the victim knows -- the family dog or a friend's dog.
Only 10% come from strange dogs. The CDC found that 30% of fatal dog attacks came from a loose dog not on its owner's property; 22% were from restrained dogs on their owners' property; and 48% were unrestrained dogs on their owners' property.
Breeds most likely to be involved in attacks vary according to the year -- which researchers attribute to changes in breeds' popularity over time -- but purebred and mixed pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds and wolf-dog hybrids tended to have the most deadly attacks. Larger dogs, male dogs that have not been neutered, dogs trained to attack and working breeds are all more likely to be involved in a dog attack. However, all of the authorities on dog attacks agree that most attacks can be prevented with caution and responsible dog ownership.
From our Princeton office, we serve clients throughout New Jersey who have been seriously injured by vicious dogs. We understand the complicated liability, medical and insurance issues surrounding a Princeton New Jersey dog bite case, and we have the knowledge and resources to draw on experts who can help explain them to a jury. And because we offer free initial consultations, there's never any risk in meeting with Lependorf & Silverstein to discuss your case and your rights.
If you or someone you love was hurt by a dangerous dog in New Jersey, contact Lependorf & Silverstein today for a free evaluation of your potential legal remedies.