Jersey City Dog Bite Lawyer

A dog attack can be violent, leading to severe physical injuries and emotional trauma for a survivor. If you or someone you love has been injured in a dog attack, you may be eligible for financial compensation. Although no amount of money can make up for serious losses from a dog attack, a successful claim can help your family pay for required medical care for dog bites and move forward with greater peace of mind. Contact Brady Reilly & Cardoso, LLC today to find out how our Jersey City dog bite lawyer can help you recover.

Why Choose Us for a Dog Bite Claim?

Dealing with the aftermath of a dog attack can be overwhelming, whether it’s you or a loved one who has been injured. Our attorneys at Brady Reilly & Cardoso, LLC are prepared to handle your case with the efficiency and professionalism you deserve. When you choose our firm, you can trust that:

• We are not afraid to go to trial. If it’s not possible to reach a fair settlement in your case, we are ready and willing to go to trial to secure the results you deserve. Our reputation for courtroom success can help you achieve the best possible legal outcome.
• We have the experience to win your case. Our law firm has served injury victims in New Jersey since 1965. At Brady Reilly & Cardoso, LLC, we’ve handled cases similar to yours and know how to effectively fight for the outcome you deserve.
• Our services are affordable. As you face mounting medical bills, we know that it isn’t an easy decision to choose an attorney to assist you. Our firm offers a free initial consultation and takes cases on a contingency fee basis. Until we secure a favorable outcome in your case, you won’t pay a penny in out-of-pocket legal fees.

Meet Our Jersey City Dog Bite Attorneys

The legal team at Brady Reilly & Cardoso, LLC has served injury victims in New Jersey since 1965. Over the years, the attorneys with the firm have developed a reputation for achieving results at trial in even the most complex of cases. Our primary focus is always to secure the maximum compensation possible for those who have been harmed by the negligent actions of another individual or party.

At Brady Reilly & Cardoso, LLC, we treat clients as we would want our own loved ones to be treated if they experienced a life-changing incident. By addressing each case with empathy and assisting clients through every step of the legal process, we achieve significant results and hold wrongdoers accountable for their actions.

If you’ve been bitten by an aggressive dog, we’d like to speak with you about your case during a free initial consultation. Our Jersey City office is located at:

241 Kearny Ave
Kearny, NJ 07032
(201) 997-0030

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“Kathleen Reilly and her staff were extremely helpful. They were always available for questions and handled my case effectively and smoothly.”

– Abagael D.

How a Jersey City Dog Bite Attorney Can Help

You may be able to handle your injury claim alone if you only suffered minor injuries and the pet owner’s insurance company is cooperating with you. If, however, you have severe or life-changing injuries, it is worthwhile to speak to an attorney. Your dog bite lawyer in Jersey City can handle settlement negotiations against an insurance provider for you while you receive medical care.

Hiring a Jersey City personal injury lawyer is important if you will have future foreseeable medical needs, such as physical therapy or rehabilitation. Without a dog bite lawyer, you may settle for a payout that does not adequately cover your ongoing expenses. A law firm with a dog bite attorney can also bring other important advantages, such as knowledge of New Jersey’s dog bite laws and connections to resources and experts that will help you build a stronger claim.

How Do Dog Bite Claims Work in New Jersey?

Every state handles  injury claims differently. Most, however, choose between two different types of laws: a one-bite rule or strict liability. A one-bite rule essentially gives a dog one “free” bite. An injured victim can only hold the dog owner responsible for the bite if the dog had a prior history of biting people or a propensity for viciousness. If the pet owner had no reason to know the dog was violent, however, he or she may avoid liability for the attack.

In a strict liability state, on the other hand, a dog owner is liable or financially responsible for all injuries and property damage caused by his or her dog, regardless of whether or not the dog had bitten someone previously. A strict liability rule makes it easier for injured dog bite victims to recover financial compensation for their injuries and losses, as they don’t have to prove the owner’s negligence.

New Jersey is a strict liability dog bite state. If you are attacked by a dog in New Jersey, the owner or controller of the dog will be liable for your medical bills and other losses, even if the owner was not negligent. Negligence in personal injury law refers to carelessness that causes injury or harm to someone else. Regardless of whether or not the pet owner knew about the dog’s propensity for viciousness, you are eligible to recover under New Jersey’s strict liability law.

Common Legal Defenses to Dog Bite Claims

Most dog bite injury claims are filed through the pet owner’s property or homeowners insurance provider. This is because pets are lawfully viewed as property. After you file a dog bite injury claim with a dog owner’s insurance provider in New Jersey, you may face one or more legal defenses that could bar you from financial recovery.

For example, a pet owner may allege that you were trespassing on private property when the attack occurred. For your claim to be valid, you must be able to prove that you were on public property or legally on private property. The pet owner may also try to assert that you instigated the attack, such as by pestering or harassing the dog. A personal injury injury attorney and their law firm can help you counter these defenses to protect your right to recover from your dog bites.

In addition, a dog bite lawyer can help you collect evidence against the pet owner, if necessary. Although for the most part, you do not need to prove negligence, if you base your claim on this legal theory, the lawyer and law firm can help you establish that the pet owner let his or her dog run at large or was negligent in another way that contributed to the attack.

What is New Jersey’s Dangerous Dog Law?

Incidents involving known dangerous dogs are handled differently on a legal level than standard dog bite injury claims. In New Jersey, a dangerous dog is one that has received this classification from an animal control office due to a previous unprovoked attack against a person or animal.

If the courts previously decided that the animal was dangerous, the dog owner had a responsibility to obtain a special ownership license, place warning signs on his or her property, and keep the dog in an enclosure or on a leash with a muzzle. If you were attacked by a known dangerous dog because the owner neglected to fulfill these duties, you may have grounds for a negligence claim.

What are Common Injuries Suffered in Dog Attacks?

A dog attack can be catastrophic, meaning it inflicts injuries that will stay with a victim for life. When some animals bite, they do not let go until they have done considerable damage. Common injuries associated with dog attacks in New Jersey include:

• Puncture wounds
• Cuts, scrapes and deep lacerations
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement
• Eye and face injuries
• Scalp injuries and head trauma
• Spinal injuries
• Hand and finger injuries
• Crush injuries
• Bone fractures
• Soft-tissue injuries
• Severe bruising
• Infections and diseases (such as rabies)
• Wrongful death

Note that New Jersey’s dog bite law also holds pet owners strictly liable for injuries and damage caused by other pet actions, such as jumping up and knocking a victim over. No matter what type of injury you or a loved one suffered in a dog attack – major or minor – you may be eligible for financial compensation from the pet owner. From spinal cord injury lawsuits in Jersey City to wrongful death cases, our attorneys are here to help.

Contact Our Jersey City Dog Bite Lawyer

If you have questions or concerns regarding a recent dog bite injury in Jersey City, please contact Brady Reilly & Cardoso, LLC to request a free legal consultation. We will listen to your story and offer trustworthy legal advice about how you can proceed with an insurance claim or injury lawsuit after a dog attack. Our dog bite attorneys in Jersey City will represent your rights and help your family seek justice every step of the way. Call (201) 997-0030 today.