Things to Consider After the Attack
1. Seek medical attention immediately. You do not know whether or not the animal has been vaccinated against rabies. Even if they have, you are still at risk for infection.
2. Report the incident call the Hanover Health Department 804-752-4313.
3. Take photos of your injuries.
4. Contact a Virginia dog bite lawyer.
An animal that has bitten someone must be quarantined for a ten-day period at least. The victim should attempt to identify the animal so that authorities can act accordingly.
Typical damages that dog bite victims can receive compensation for include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of earnings while unable to work
- Future loss of earnings if you cannot return to work
- Disfigurement – If the injury causes scarring or other unsightly marks
- Medical Expenses
Virginia Dog Bite Lawyer
Our attorneys are available to assist all Hanover County residents including: Ashland, Atlee, Beaverdam, Doswell, Elmont, Hanover Courthouse, Mechanicsville, Montpelier, Old Church, Rockville, and Studley.
Owners have a strict responsibility to keep their dogs safely contained, and that responsibility is all-the-more important if the dog is found to be dangerous or vicious. Negligent dog ownership has no excuses—if your dog is a threat to others, you must ensure that it has no chance to harm anyone.
My Virginia-based personal injury law firm specializes in dog bite and dog attack cases. My lawyers and I know the rules, the regulations, and the laws surrounding dogs and dog attacks, and we know how to fight for you in order to win you the legal redress to which you are entitled. Nobody should have to suffer because a dog owner should have known better.
No Fee Promise
Our Virginia dog bite attorneys operate under a no fee promise. This means that you are not responsible for any legal fees unless we win or settle your case. Contact us to learn more about your legal rights 877-544-5323
Hanover County Animal Laws
Because dog bites can be so injurious, and even fatal, cities and counties generally issue laws meant to prevent the possibility of a dog attack. The code of Hanover County, Virginia contains several such provisions meant to prohibit dog bites.
The code—which covers Ashland, Virginia in addition to the county—maintains that no dogs are allowed to run “at-large” in the area, meaning they must be leashed while on public property or in public spaces. However, any dog deemed “dangerous,” which generally means a dog that has attacked another dog or human, is prohibited from any public space at all in order to minimize the risk of harm to the public. A “vicious dog,” on the other hand, is prohibited from residing within the County or in Ashland at all. A legally vicious dog is one that has severely injured or killed a human being.
There’s good reason to be cautious: over four million people are bitten by dogs each year, and nearly a million of those bites require medical attention. Half of the bites that demand medical treatment are suffered by children. The total economic cost of dog bites is around $1 billion a year. The number of people injured or killed by dog attacks every year is simply too high; Hanover County is right to take steps to prevent such terrible occurrences from happening.