A dog bite attack can be a terrifying experience for anyone. If the victim is a child, the terror caused by the attack is likely to be magnified and extended well into adulthood. Because of this, many states, including the State of Michigan, have taken a strict liability approach to dog bite cases. Basically, this makes the owner of the dog liable for your injuries regardless of the circumstances of the attack in most cases. Because you are unlikely to be thinking clearly at the time should you find yourself (or a child) to be the victim of a dog bite, it helps to know now what steps to take following a Michigan dog bite.

Michigan law relating to dog attacks is fairly clear and places the blame, or liability, directly on the owner of the dog. Michigan Compiled Laws Annotated 287.351 states:

“If a dog bites a person, without provocation while the person is on public property, or lawfully on private property, including the property of the owner of the dog, the owner of the dog shall be liable for any damages suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness.”

Although every animal attack occurs under a unique set of facts and circumstances, the following steps are common steps to take after a dog bite occurs:

 

• Prevent further injury. Dogs can be unpredictable. If the attack seems to be over, don’t assume it is. Remove yourself (or the victim) from a vulnerable position to prevent further harm.

• Call for help. Call the police. This serves numerous purposes. First, it helps secure the scene and will summon medical help. Second, it may help identify the responsible dog if you don’t know whose it was. Finally, it will create an official record of the incident should one be needed for litigation purposes.

• Identify the dog. Unless the dog is known to you, you may only have a short period of time to figure out where it lives. Of course, medical treatment is more important; however, if you have someone who can pursue the identification of the dog while you seek medical treatment that may be a good idea before the dog completely disappears. You can also check with animal control at a later time to see if the dog was captured.

• Seek medical treatment. Always go to the hospital for an examination and treatment. Dog bites can be serious and are prone to infection, even if the dog was not carrying any serious diseases.

• Consult with an attorney. The law is clear. In most cases, the owner of a dog is responsible for injuries if the dog bites someone. Though the physical wound may heal relatively fast, the emotional wound may be much slower to heal. All of those injuries are potentially compensable. Consulting with an experienced attorney is the best place to start when pursuing compensation.

 

As the victim, or parent of a victim, in a Michigan dog bite case you are likely entitled to compensation for both your physical and emotional injuries caused by the attack. Consult with an experienced Michigan dog bite attorney as soon after the attack as possible to determine how best to proceed.