According to a report by the American Veterinary Medical Association, nearly 85 million dogs are living in the United States. Each year, approximately 4.5 million people, mostly children, are bitten.
A Marietta Personal injury lawyer works to ensure victims can get compensation, pay medical bills, and reduce the stress of negotiating with insurance companies.
There are several key measures to take in the event of a dog bite.
Georgia uses a traditional “fault-based system” system for car insurance. What is this term? It means that the person at fault for the accident is financially responsible for injuries, vehicle damage, and other losses.
In approximately 12 other states, a “no-fault” system is followed. This means that the driver’s insurance covers certain losses after a crash.
In Georgia, a simple way to understand it is: the at-fault driver’s insurance covers other people’s losses up to the limits of the driver’s liability coverage.
According to a May 2023 post from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 4714 people died in large truck crashes in 2021. This number represents a 17% increase over the previous year.
In a longer timeframe, the number of deaths has risen dramatically. IIHS notes that the number of people who died in large truck crashes was 50% higher in 2021 than in 2009.
Who was killed in these crashes? IIHS reports that 16% of the deaths were occupants of the truck, 68% were occupants of cars and other vehicles, and 15% were bicyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians.
Every year, dog bites seem to be filling the news. A Fox News report described that a Cobb County police officer was bitten and shot during a dog attack. The injured officer was taken to the hospital for treatment for both the dog bite and the gunshot wound and is expected to survive.
Dog bite incidents in Cobb County are increasingly common. A dog bite can injure people, regardless of age or occupation. If you have noticed an increase in dog bites, as a Marietta personal injury lawyer, the data supports this insight.
According to a report from the Insurance Information Institute (III), in 2022, insurance companies paid $853.7 million for dog bite and injury claims. The average claim amount reported was $64,555, up from $49,025 in 2021. The III reports that the average cost per claim increased by 31.7% from 2013 to 2022. The III notes that this increase may be due to the upward trends of jury awards, as well as increased medical costs.
Drownings are the most common kind of swimming pool injury. In fact, drowning is the leading cause of death among children under 4 and the second-leading cause of injury-related death among children under 14. A young child can drown in as little as a few inches of water, meaning that not even the kiddie pool is entirely safe.
Young children have still-developing brains and bodies, making them unusually vulnerable to serious injury. When such a tragedy strikes, no one can turn back the clock and change what happened. A Marietta personal injury lawyer does the next best thing, which is to obtain the financial compensation these families need and deserve.
Drownings
A high-speed pursuit in Acworth ended badly when a motorcyclist, allegedly racing another motorcyclist, struck a Honda Accord. The rider died at the scene.
Prior to the crash, Georgia State Patrol troopers were assisting the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office in pursuing two motorcycle drivers who were racing on GA-3 near Mockingbird Road. Troopers began chasing one of the riders, who continued driving “in a reckless manner” into Cobb County.
According to investigators, the motorcyclist was approaching the intersection at high speed and struck a Honda Accord that was making a left turn. The motorcycle driver, a male, died at the scene. The driver of the Honda was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
In 2021, insurance companies paid almost $900 million to settle dog bite cases in the United States. The overall figure, as well as the per-claim average settlement figure, has increased significantly since 2010. Rising medical bills, as well as a better medical understanding of dog bite injuries, have contributed much to this increase. More on these injuries below.
A personal injury settlement is not just a matter of adding numbers together. Instead, a Marietta personal injury lawyer must build a strong, evidence-based claim. Only such a claim can establish all the elements in a complicated dog bite claim and refute the inevitable insurance company defenses. The result of all this hard work is maximum compensation for your serious injuries.
Dog Bite Injuries
Pike County Sheriff’s deputies believe a combination of alcohol and speed caused a fatal collision on Highway 109.
A Lincoln Navigator and Toyota collided because neither driver stopped at the highway intersection. One driver was arrested after receiving medical treatment, and charged with driving under the influence, vehicular homicide, driving without a license, and several other traffic offenses.
Car Crash Causes
Yes. Truck drivers, taxi operators, Uber drivers, and other commercial operators are common carriers in Georgia. So, under Section 46-9-1 of the Georgia Code, they must “use extraordinary diligence” as they operate their motor vehicles. Additionally, “no excuse avails them unless the loss was occasioned by the act of God or the public enemies of the state.” That is one of the highest commercial driver standards of care in the country. The higher duty of care directly affects crash liability issues, as outlined below.
The higher standard of care makes it easier for a Marietta personal injury lawyer to prove negligence, or a lack of care. Nevertheless, commercial operator wrecks are very complex. So, although it is easier to prove negligence, it is more difficult to obtain maximum compensation for your serious injuries. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.
First Party Liability
Every year, dogs bite an estimated 4.5 million Americans. Most of these victims are children. Because they have such small brains and bodies, these victims usually sustain permanent emotional and physical injuries. The lifelong costs associated with these injuries are extremely high. Fortunately, most homeowners insurance policies have high coverage limits, which means substantial compensation is usually available.
A Marietta personal injury attorney works to ensure that these victims get the compensation they need and deserve. Victims need this compensation to pay medical bills and other accident-related costs. They deserve this compensation because, in most cases, that’s the only way that a young dog bite victim can possibly live the rest of their life with some sense of normalcy.
Georgia’s Dog Bite Statute
Marietta Injury Lawyer Blog