Mississippi Dog Bite Injury Attorneys

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), around 4.5 million people in the United States are bitten by dogs annually, with almost 900,000 of them bitten seriously enough to require medical attention. Each year, more than 300,000 victims go to the emergency room for treatment of dog bite injuries. In addition to causing injury, pain, or nerve damage, dog bites can spread germs that can cause infection, illness, or in rare cases, death. Sadly, the majority of these are young children, who are more likely than adults to receive dog bites to the face, neck, and head. In addition to causing injury, pain, or nerve damage, dog bites can spread germs that can cause infection, illness, or in rare cases, death. In many cases, the injured person will need a tetanus shot, and sometimes, a series of painful anti-rabies shots.

Mississippi Dog Bite Injuries can cause Serious Injuries

If you have suffered a severe dog bite injury because of another person’s actions or negligence, you have the right to bring a personal injury lawsuit against that person. You can recover financial damages for all medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. Working with a personal injury attorney such as Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. is the best way to ensure you are fully compensated for all physical and psychological injuries, so you can recover as completely, and regain as much quality of life as possible.

Dog Bite Injury Accidents In Mississippi

Mississippi is a “one bite rule” state. It has no dog bite statutes like many other states do. Under Mississippi law, a person who is injured by a dog must prove negligence of the dog owner or the owner has to know their dog’s viciousness.  Basically, this type of proof requires the owner to know or reasonably should have known the dog had the dangerous propensity to bite people. The argument goes – the owner could not have knowledge the dog was dangerous unless the dog has bitten someone before, therefore the “one bite rule.” However, a dog does not necessarily need to actually bite to trigger the one-bite rule. Instead, the dog need only exhibit dangerous behavior. A negligence claim can be based on animal control laws such as a violation of leash laws, dog prohibitions and trespassing laws. These violations are forms of negligence.

Damages a dog owner may have to pay a victim in a dog bite case include medical expenses, such as:

• Reconstructive surgery and damages for disfigurement
• Lost wages or loss of earning potential
• Pain and suffering

Victims may also be entitled to recover for property damage. If a loved one is killed by a dog, other damages may be recovered in a wrongful death case.

Most cities in Mississippi have laws requiring dogs to be on leashes, and under the control of the person walking it, when they’re not on owner’s or caretaker’s property. A leash ordinance is designed to protect the public by imposing a private duty on dog owners to prevent their dogs from running at large. When an unleashed dog causes an injury, the injured person may recover damages from the owner, even if there is no proof that the owner intentionally or willfully caused the dog to get loose. A dog owner is in violation of a local leash ordinance any time their dog is without a leash on public property, because they failed to take the necessary action to prevent it. Even if this is the first time the dog has ever done something like this, the failure to leash the dog is called negligence per se. Leash laws apply even when the dog is trained to obey verbal orders or hand signals.

Dog Bite Injury Types 

• Wounds and lacerations
• Brain injury
• Bone fractures
• Nerve damage
• Scars and disfigurement
• Pain and suffering
• Disability
• Animal phobias
• Anxiety and depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

We Work For You

If you have received a dog bite injury that was not your fault, don’t put yourself or your family at financial risk – contact the Mississippi Dog Bite Injury Lawyers at Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. today to learn more about your rights.