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What To Know After Dog Bite Or Other Animal Attack In Illinois

dog bites

Dog bite victims in Illinois must deal with complicated laws to determine liability for the animal attack and what the case is worth. Learn more in this article if someone’s dog bit you, then our Illinois dog bite injury lawyers at The Law Office of Robert T. Edens, P.C., can answer any questions.

Illinois Dog Bite Laws

The Illinois Animal Control Act states that the law applies to injuries caused by dogs and other kinds of animals. According to the statute, if a dog bit you, you must prove the following:

  • The dog attacked or tried to attack you.
  • You were lawfully in the location where you suffered the bite or injury.
  • You did not provoke the animal.

If the above factors apply to your case, you may be able to file a claim against the owner. An Illinois dog bite lawyer can review your case and determine if you are eligible for compensation.

Dog Owner Responsibilities In Illinois

The Animal Control Act states that a dangerous dog is not on the owner’s property and does not have a muzzle. Also, it is not leashed or accompanied. Also, the animal’s behavior must present an unjustified and severe threat of injury to others.

The owner of a vicious or dangerous dog must keep the dog secured on their property always. According to state law, a vicious dog should be contained by a fence or similar structure so that children and others cannot enter the yard. Also, the owner of such a dog must keep it leashed if they take it somewhere that is not on their property.

Illinois Strict Liability Laws

You can base a claim on either negligence or strict liability with a dog bite or an animal attack. With strict liability, the owner is responsible for your injuries if the dog bit you without being provoked. Strict liability may be preferable when claiming because the owner cannot say they did not know the dog was dangerous. Some owners may do this to avoid liability.

The only exceptions are if you were trespassing on the dog owner’s property when the attack occurred. Or, you intentionally provoked the animal to attack. The dog owner may not be liable for your injuries in these cases.

Statute Of Limitations For Dog Bite Case

In Illinois, you have two years from the date of injury to file a dog bite injury lawsuit. If you do not file your case on time, you are barred from suing the liable party.

Contact Our Illinois Dog Bite Injury Attorneys

If you were bitten by someone else’s dog recently, you should first seek immediate medical care. Getting prompt medical attention is essential both for your health and potential claim. Then, you should speak to an experienced attorney about your legal options. If you did not provoke the animal, you may be entitled to compensation in a personal injury lawsuit. Contact our Illinois dog bite injury lawyers at The Law Office of Robert T. Edens, P.C. to review your case today, so please call (847) 395-2200.

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How Do Illinois Dog Bite Laws Affect Compensation in My Personal Injury Case?

dog biteIllinois is a strict liability state which means dog bite laws in Illinois protect victims of attacks. It means that if your dog bites someone, you will be held liable for the injuries they sustain. As per the Illinois Animal Control Act, it is the dog owner’s responsibility to ensure their pet is secured in their property at all times. Plus, they also have to make sure their dog is leashed during walks.

Types of Damages You Can Get For Dog Bites in Illinois

Like most personal injury cases, dog bite laws are valued as per economic and non-economic damages such as the following:

Medical Bills

You can be compensated for all of the medical bills you had to pay the hospital that treated your wounds that resulted from the attack. This includes ER treatment and future medical aid such as reconstructive surgery (to fix your scarred body or face) or an injury that requires physical therapy. Since the dog owner was not able to keep their pet from attacking you, they have to pay all of those expenses.

Financial loss

If the dog attack resulted in injuries that made you bedridden or prevented you from doing your job, your dog bite lawyer in Lake County could also make a wage loss claim as part of your lawsuit against the owner. In this case, they can say that the injuries you sustained because of the dog owner’s negligence prevent you from making a living, so you should be compensated for it.

Pain and suffering

As per Illinois law, you can also receive compensation for the pain and suffering you went through because of the dog attack. This includes past, present, and future pain and suffering. The good news is that the court usually rejects caps on this type of compensation, so you can get almost all of the compensation you need to avoid financial ruin. An experienced dog bite lawyer in Lake County can ensure you get the maximum amount.

Disfigurement

Most dog attacks result in deep and permanent scarring that can take a toll on the victim’s physical and mental health. Puncture wounds and nerve damage can take months to heal and thousands of dollars to treat surgically. Even reconstructive surgery may not be enough to reverse all of the damage. However, ensuring you get compensated from the guilty parties can go a long way in helping you heal financially and emotionally.

Contact Robert Edens for a Consultation Today

A dog attack can lead to lifelong disfigurement and PTSD. If you are uncertain about dog bite laws in Illinois, get in touch with Robert Edens today. He will meet with you and go over all of the facts surrounding your case in detail. With two decades of experience representing victims like you, he will ensure you get the maximum compensation you deserve.

The consultation is completely free of cost, so you have nothing to lose. You will not be forced to sign anything you are uncomfortable with or asked to pay till you get a fair settlement.

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What is the Illinois Dangerous Dog Law?

Illinois dangerous dog lawIllinois Dog Bite Law

Dogs can be loyal companions, but at the end of the day, they are animals that can attack without warning, as your Grayslake dog bite attorney will tell you. According to the Illinois’s Animal Control Act, there are two ways a dog can be considered to be ‘dangerous:’

  • The dog bites a person completely unprovoked without causing serious physical injuries.
  • The dog is unmuzzled, unleashed, or not under the control of the owner and it behaves in a manner that can lead to a serious threat of injury or cause another person’s or animal’s death.

If you have been bitten by a dog in Illinois, the owner of the dog is liable for the injuries that are caused by the said bite. However, the dog does not have to meet the aforementioned requirements for the owner to be liable. The strict liability law focuses only on the fact that the bite happened. Once the incident takes place and it leads to an injury, the owner of the dog is automatically liable in the eyes of the law.

In this case, it does not matter whether the dog in question showed signs of aggression before. The law protects injured victims to ensure they can get the compensation they deserve from the owners.

This includes the costs of medical treatment for the dog bite injury and even the emotional trauma it caused. In fact, it doesn’t even matter if the dog is the property of the owner or not. If it was under someone else’s care during the incident, that person can be held responsible.

Dog Bite Liability Statute

Your Grayslake dog bite attorney will tell you that under the liability statute if you have been injured by a dog in Illinois, you can get compensation from the owner or the animal’s custodian if you can prove that:

  • The dog caused the injury.
  • You did not provoke the animal into attacking you.
  • The defendant owns the dog.
  • You were in a place where you had every legal right to be when you were attacked.

You do not need to prove negligence to hold the owner of the dog liable for damages. Your Grayslake dog bite attorney just has to prove that he/she was negligent at the time the injury took place. You also have to establish that the dog was bite prone and the owner was aware of the fact.

Contact An Illinois Dog Bite Lawyer

If you or someone you know has been injured because of a dog attack in Illinois, get in touch with our Grayslake dog bite attorney at the Law Offices of Robert T. Edens. The laws pertaining to this type of injury can be quite complex especially when proving liability becomes tricky.

Personal Injury Attorney

We have years of experience aggressively representing dog bite victims so we know all of the excuses the owner can throw at us. Get in touch with us for a consultation today and ensure you can recover maximum damages. We have recovered millions of dollars for our clients in the last two decades.