Personal Injury Attorney Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. Is Offering Legal Services In Valdosta

Personal injury law firm Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. Attorneys at Law is offering legal representation to individuals who have been victims of dog bite incidents in Valdosta, Georgia.

The Center for Disease Control approximates that around 800,000 people seek medical help for dog bites every year. The real number of dog bites is assumed to be 6 times that number as most go unreported or are handled through simple first aid. In 2014, the insurance industry paid off more than $530M in claims related to dog bites.

In Georgia, the law surrounding dog bites is a modified version of the one-bite rule. The one-bite rule states that once a dog has bitten a person, it is considered vicious and the owner is assumed to be aware of its nature from that moment on. This makes the owner liable for any future damages that their dog causes to others. Georgia goes beyond the one bite rule and decrees that the owner can be held liable if they were careless and did not keep the dog on a leash or the attack was unprovoked. Georgia law also considers other aggressive behavior from the dog such as charging at people or animals, growling, snarling, or barking to be enough to prove that the owner is aware of the dog’s nature and hence can be held liable for its behavior. These modifications give the victim more options in making a stronger case against the dog owner.

An experienced dog bite attorney will use their knowledge of the law to help victims suffering from the careless actions of a dog owner. The most important step in the process is to establish blame and to hold the owner of the animal liable for the harm caused to the victim. Once the blame is established, an attorney will assess the damage and come up with an exhaustive list of costs that includes current medical bills, expected future medical costs, lost wages due to recuperation time, and in some cases, compensation for any permanent disabilities that may have occurred. Along with the cost of recovering from physical injury, a lawyer may also help the victim push for punitive damages.

An attorney is a key actor in the lawsuit as they will help a victim collect evidence that can definitively place the blame on the offending party. A victim going at it alone might miss crucial details that may prove useful while negotiating a settlement or fighting the case in a court of law. Evidence can include photos of the scene and injuries, reports filed with the authorities, and witness testimonies that can turn the tide in the favor of the victim. An attorney’s experience is the primary reason for them being able to spot the validity of the presented evidence and highlight the pieces that bolster the victim’s claim.

A spokesperson for Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. Attorneys at Law talks about the law firm’s role in defending victims of dog bites by saying, “Dogs are a man’s best friends but some people are just careless and reckless in the way they treat their furry companions. The emotional abuse that dogs suffer at the hands of their owners along with the dog owner’s tendency to shrug responsibility and avoiding disciplining them makes for a dangerous combination that affects innocent bystanders that happen to come in their vicinity. If you have been a victim of a dog bite, you have to take the time to dissociate the actions of the animal from the callous behavior of its owner who is in charge of keeping the dog in line. Once you are ready to place the blame where it really lies, give our law firm a call and we will help you build a rock-solid case that will get you the fullest and fairest settlement that you deserve. After one consultation you will find out why Kenneth S. Nugent is the best personal injury attorney Valdosta has to offer.”

Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. Attorneys at Law can be contacted at the phone number 1-888-579-1790.