Prince William County Dog Bite Lawyer

A black running dog approaching
A black running dog approaching

Key Takeaways

  • Virginia’s One-Bite Rule: Dog owners may be held liable if they knew or should have known their dog had aggressive tendencies.
  • Potential Compensation: Victims can seek damages for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
  • Statute of Limitations: You typically have two years from the date of the injury to file a dog bite lawsuit in Virginia.
  • Free Consultation: Mullori Law offers a no-obligation case review to help you understand your legal options.
  • Personalized Legal Support: With over 25 years of experience, D. Michael Mullori, Jr., provides dedicated representation to dog bite victims in Prince William County.

Although many consider their dogs part of their family, even the most well-behaved dog can viciously lash out without warning or provocation. If you’ve suffered injuries from a bite inflicted by someone else’s dog, you deserve compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Contact D. Michael Mullori, Jr., Attorney at Law, to discuss your legal options with a Prince William County dog bite lawyer. Since 1999, Mike Mullori has fought to protect the rights and interests of injured victims throughout Virginia. He strives to help his clients through the complicated recovery process from injuries’ physical and emotional effects. He works directly with his clients throughout their cases, keeping his caseload small to devote the time and resources each client needs.

Reach out online to Mike today or call 24/7 at (703) 762-2142 for a free, no-obligation case review to help with your dog bite claim. Our office is conveniently located at 2500 Hunter Pl, Unit 102, Woodbridge, VA. Come visit us. We take your injury personally!

What to Do if You Are Attacked by a Dog in Prince William County

If someone else’s dog bites or attacks you, you can file a dog bite claim and put yourself in a favorable position to recover compensation.

To protect your legal rights, take the following steps:

  • Notify the dog’s owner if you can locate them.
  • Take photos of the area if you can, including necessary details such as a broken fence the dog escaped from.
  • Seek immediate medical attention to begin treating your injuries and prevent secondary complications like infections.
  • Follow your healthcare provider’s treatment instructions.
  • Request copies of your medical records.
  • Keep any bills, invoices, or receipts of your expenses from your injuries.
  • Gather your pay records to calculate any lost wages you’ve incurred.
  • Consider starting a diary or journal to document your recovery and the effects of the attack or injuries on your quality of life.

Finally, contact a dog bite attorney in Prince William County to discuss the next steps you can take to pursue money for your personal injuries and losses.

How Long Do I Have to File a Dog Bite Claim in Prince William County?

Under Virginia’s statute of limitations for injury claims, you usually have two years to file a dog bite lawsuit. Filing a suit after the limitations period expires on your dog bite claim may lead to losing your rights to recover compensation if the trial court dismisses your case as untimely filed. You should contact a Prince William County dog bite attorney as soon as possible to ensure your case gets filed on time.

What is the State’s Dog Bite Law?

Virginia does not have a statute that governs liability for dog bite injuries. Instead, the state’s dog bite law comes from court cases. In Virginia, dog bite claims usually follow the legal rule known as the “one-bite” rule. Under the one-bite rule, a dog owner will have liability for injuries inflicted by their animal if the owner knew or should have known of the dog’s aggressive or vicious tendencies. In many cases, evidence of the dog owner’s knowledge of their dog’s vicious disposition comes from a prior bite or attack inflicted by the dog on another person or animal.

In addition, Virginia’s dog bite law allows injured victims to hold dog owners liable for injuries if a dog attack or bite occurred due to the owner’s negligence, even if the owner did not know of their dog’s aggressiveness. Proving negligence by a dog owner requires showing that the owner failed to use reasonable care to restrain their dog. Examples of negligent behavior may include failing to maintain a fence or enclosure on the owner’s property, which allowed the dog to escape.

An injured victim may also bring a claim of negligence “per se,” which holds a dog owner negligent for failing to comply with relevant law. For example, if a dog owner takes their dog out in public without a leash even though the county, city, or town has a leash ordinance, a dog bite injury victim may argue that the owner’s violation of the leash ordinance caused the injury.

Is the Dog Owner Responsible for Injuries from a Dog Attack in Prince William County?

In most cases, a dog owner will bear liability for injuries their dog inflicts on another person in a bite that occurs in public or while the person is lawfully on private property. However, depending on the circumstances of a dog bite case, other parties may have some responsibility for a dog attack. For example, a dog walker or sitter who fails to use reasonable care to restrain a dog may bear liability if the dog then bites or attacks someone.

What If the Person Bitten Is Partly Responsible?

A dog owner or other responsible party may have a complete defense to a dog bite claim by arguing that the injured victim also bears some fault for the dog bite or attack. Virginia follows the legal rule known as pure contributory negligence.

Under this rule, an injured party may not pursue a legal claim if they bear any share of fault for their injuries. A dog owner or other liable party must bear 100 percent responsibility for a dog bite or attack for an injured victim to have a valid legal claim. Therefore, if a bitten person provoked the dog into biting or attacking, including by chasing, taunting, poking, or pulling, the injured victim may lose their right to recover compensation for their injuries.

Given the harsh consequences of Virginia’s pure contributory negligence rule, you should work with an experienced Prince William County dog bite lawyer if the dog owner tries to claim that you provoked the dog into attacking you.

What Are Common Injuries in Dog Bite Cases?

A dog can inflict many injuries with a bite or attack. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young children face some of the highest risks of severe injuries and death from a dog bite or attack. This is because dogs can reach the vulnerable head and neck area of a child who may lack the strength to fight off the dog. A dog bite injury can also lead to various secondary health complications.

Common injuries and health conditions caused by dog bites include:

  • Lacerations
  • Degloving injuries
  • Puncture wounds
  • Ligament, tendon, or muscle tears
  • Broken bones, especially in the hands or feet
  • Severed blood vessels and excessive bleeding
  • Nerve damage
  • Facial injuries
  • Infections from viruses and bacteria in the dog’s mouth
  • Traumatic amputation or loss of body parts due to damage or infection/necrosis

What Damages Could Be Available in a Dog Bite Claim?

A dog bite claim can compensate you for various financial or personal losses you incur due to injuries inflicted by someone else’s dog.

Dog bite compensation in your legal case may include money for your:

  • Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses
  • Lost wages/income
  • Loss of future earning capacity
  • Physical pain
  • Emotional trauma and distress
  • Loss of qualify of life due

How Long Can It Take to Settle a Dog Bite Case in Prince William County?

No one can predict with certainty how long it will take to settle your dog bite claim. Some dog bite cases get settled within a few weeks after filing an insurance claim or a demand letter with the dog’s owner or their insurance company. Some cases go to court and trial, which can take a year or more.

Multiple factors will affect the duration and timeline of your dog bite case, such as:

  • The severity of your injuries and the duration of your medical recovery
  • Whether you suffer permanent disabilities or disfigurement
  • Whether your case involves complex evidence
  • Whether you bear any responsibility for provoking the attack
  • Whether parties other than the dog’s owner may have some responsibility for your injuries
  • The availability of insurance coverage and applicable policy limits
  • The speed of the insurance company’s investigation

Prince William County dog bite lawyer D. Michael Mullori, Jr. will keep you updated throughout your case to inform you about the progress of your claims.

How a Prince William County Dog Bite Attorney Can Help You

Working with a Prince William County dog bite attorney can simplify your claims process. When you’ve suffered severe injuries, a dog bite attorney can handle all the aspects of preparing and pursuing your legal claims so you can focus on your medical recovery. A lawyer can also relieve the anxiety or stress you may feel from pursuing legal action against a family member, friend, or neighbor whose dog injured you.

Let us assist you with each step of your dog bite claim, including:

  • Investigating your claims and securing critical evidence, such as photos of the accident scene and your injuries, surveillance footage, medical records, police reports, or eyewitness testimony
  • Identifying other potentially liable parties besides the dog’s owner
  • Calculating your ongoing and future expected financial and personal losses
  • Filing insurance claims and negotiating with adjusters to obtain compensation for you in a settlement
  • Advocating on your behalf if the dog owner or insurance company tries to shift blame for the attack onto you
  • Filing a lawsuit and going to trial when necessary to demand financial recovery and justice for your injuries

Contact a Prince William County Dog Bite Lawyer

After suffering a dog bite injury or injuries inflicted in an animal attack, get experienced legal help to secure a financial recovery for your harm and loss. Contact Mike Mullori online or call 24/7 at (703) 762-2142 for a free, no-obligation consultation. He’ll discuss how a dog bite attorney in Prince William County can help you obtain the resources you need to recover from injuries you sustained in a dog attack.

Have Questions About Dog Bite Claims?

We understand that dog bite incidents can be stressful and confusing. Below are answers to some of the most common questions we hear from victims in Prince William County.

You should use them for two reasons: (1) you can still claim the value of the treatment from the defendant’s carrier, and (2) if you wait to submit your bills they could be in collection by the time your case is over; don’t let the accident ruin your health and your credit.

Sure. We always say that there is only one requirement to hire us: you must really, truly be hurt. If you got hurt we’ll speak with you. If your injury is so minor that we cannot really add value to your case we’ll let you know. In any event, there is no fee for a consultation, so you really have nothing to lose by speaking with us.

First of all, we never charge personal injury victims for first consultations with our attorneys. Every initial visit is completely free, regardless of whether or not you decide to hire our firm, and there is never any obligation to hire us following that initial consultation.

If you do decide to hire our firm we will ask you to sign a retainer agreement that clearly explains the work we will do, how we will do it, and how we will get paid. Accident victims usually come to us, at least in part, out of concern for their finances. We know that getting hurt, incurring medical bills, missing work and losing your car usually won’t leave you in any position to pay us an hourly fee. So, instead of charging you by the hour, we always charge a contingency fee for representing personal injury victims. A contingency fee is a fee that is based on the amount of money you collect from the claim. That means that we don’t get paid an attorney fee unless and until you either settle your case or win it in court. Instead of worrying about how much you are paying your lawyer you can concentrate on your recovery and treatment.

Generally, our fee is one-third of the total recovery, although there are circumstances where either higher or lower contingency fees might be appropriate. Also, the law requires you to reimburse us for out-of pocket expenses. Whatever the amount, it will be explained to you in clear, concise terms before you hire our firm and you can be sure that only an experienced attorney will be making the decisions that ultimately lead to the conclusion of your case.

Once you are done treating we’ll know better what your case is worth. Until you are done treating, unless you have reached maximum medical improvement, we can’t know. We’ll consider the force of the impact in car accident cases, the presence of broken bones, scars, burns and permanent conditions. We’ll consider whether you want to go to court or are anxious to avoid it. We’ll consider the court you will likely be in. We’ll consider any future treatment you may need. We’ll consider how well your doctor has explained your condition and your difficulties. We’ll consider whether the driver that hit you was drunk. We’ll consider your medical history. Then, we’ll sit down with you and tell you what we think. You can be as involved, or uninvolved, as you like.

If your case is successful, generally speaking you get your medical bills paid, reimbursement for lost work, payments for pain and suffering (physical and mental), and repayment for out of pocket expenses. However, you should remember that the insurer is entitled to fight you on all of these claims if they don’t agree to your characterization of your damages. For example, they may argue that you got too much therapy, that the treatment was too expensive, or that you missed too much work. You should be prepared to prove each type of damage you suffered.

Contact us online, or visit our personal injury FAQs for additional answers, we can help!