Dog Bites

Animal Attack and Dog Bite Claims in Greater Detroit

Dog bites can cause severe, permanent or even fatal injuries, especially when small children are involved. If you or someone in your family needs legal advice about recovering damages for a dog bite, contact a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer at the Southfield office of Frank K. Rhodes III, Esq.

Dog bite cases are different from other personal injury claims under Michigan law. Most accident victims need to prove negligence on the part of the person responsible for the injury. In cases of injuries caused by animal attacks, however, the victim does not need to prove that the animal's owner was negligent. The owner is strictly liable for the damages caused by his or her pet or livestock.

Assuming that we can prove the facts of the injuries and the animal's ownership, the two main defenses in a dog bite case are trespass or provocation. The law will not compensate an adult or older child for injuries suffered while on another's land unlawfully. Teasing, abusing or otherwise provoking a dog capable of inflicting serious injury can also be regarded by a jury as the willing assumption of a risk that most sensible people would not care to accept.

Special rules of liability apply to small children. A child under seven years old cannot be held legally accountable for his or her own negligence in Michigan. The trespass and provocation defenses therefore will usually not apply in dog bite injury claims where a very young boy or girl is the victim.

With more than 30 years of trial experience with the presentation of serious injury claims, Frank Rhodes has the understanding of animal owner liability that can help you recover the damages you need in the event of injuries suffered in an attack by a dog, a horse, a bull or any other animal. Even a very few minutes of biting by a strong dog, such as a pit bull or a German shepherd, can cause deep trauma to soft tissues, nerves or blood vessels. Permanent scarring and disfigurement is often an important element of the damages claim. Extreme cases involving especially vulnerable victims can even result in death.

We carefully investigate and document the full range of damages that you can recover in dog bite cases under Michigan law. We also make sure that we identify all of the sources of compensation that might be available from insurance companies and jointly liable defendants. For a free consultation about your right to collect damages in a dog bite or animal attack case, contact an experienced personal injury attorney at the office of Frank K. Rhodes III, Esq. in Southfield.