Providence Dog Bite Lawyer

Dog bites can be an extremely traumatic experience for everyone involved and can have devastating consequences. The resulting injuries are often severe, with long-term effects.

It is particularly frightening when a child is the victim. Children are more likely to be bitten by dogs than adults in Rhode Island. The most common victims of dog bites are children between the ages of 5 and 9, and nearly all dogs involved in bites were known to the children as a pet or from a neighbor.

The moments after a dog attack are crucial. While it can be overwhelming, getting help quickly after a dog bite in Providence can hopefully prevent injuries from worsening or spreading infection. Getting legal advice after a dog attack can inform you of your options and help you get financial compensation. Our dog bite attorneys at Rob Levine Law are ready to assist.

Find out what your case is worth.

What Should You Do After a Dog Bite in Providence?

Dog attacks usually happen suddenly and are completely unpredictable. If a violent dog attacks or bites you in Providence, you should act immediately by taking the following steps:

  • Get Medical Attention: No matter your injuries, get medical attention immediately. Even if the injury appears small, dog bites can lead to serious infections and complications. Rabies is extremely rare but can spread through even a scratch or the saliva of an infected animal.
  • Report the Incident: Call your local animal control or the authorities to report the bite, even if it was minor. Animal control needs to know and will create an official record that could strengthen your case.
  • Document the Incident: Take photos of the bite and any visible injuries, and try to document as much as possible. If there were any witnesses to the bite, take their statements, and get the dog’s owner’s information and vaccination history.
  • Contact our Lawyers: Contact our dog bite attorneys as soon as possible. The sooner the better, so we will have ample time to investigate the incident and file your claim.

What Can a Providence Dog Bite Lawyer Do to Help?

Having a determined, knowledgeable dog bite attorney from our firm on your side can help you through the complicated legal process, lifting the burden from your shoulders, especially if your child was injured.

Our Providence law firm has always prioritized advocating for those in need and putting our clients’ well-being above all, so they can recover and take back their lives. We provide everyone with a Fee Free Guarantee®, and you won’t owe any fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Hear from Our Satisfied Clients.

What Is the Dog Bite Claim Process in Providence?

Depending on circumstances, recovery from a dog bite can be long. Sometimes it’s not easy to feel safe afterward, and recovery physically can be difficult.

If a dog has bitten you in Providence, our personal injury attorneys will do the following:

  • Initial Consultation: After contacting one of our dog bite attorneys, we provide a free, no-obligation consultation during which we will review the facts of the case and discuss all potential legal avenues available to you.
  • Gather Evidence: Your lawyer will conduct an investigation into your accident and identify responsible parties, along with collecting all medical records, reports, witness statements, and other evidence to support your case.
  • Negotiation: Your lawyer will negotiate with the dog owner’s insurance company to reach a fair settlement that fully compensates for all your losses.
  • Possible Litigation: If the insurance company doesn’t agree to a fair settlement, your lawyer is fully prepared to file a lawsuit and take the case to court.
  • Settlement or Verdict: Once the case is complete, you will receive compensation through a settlement or a court judgment.

You will have three years to file a claim before the statute of limitations expires if you are the victim of a dog bite in Rhode Island.

What Types of Compensation Are Available for a Dog Bite Claim?

There are different types of compensation you could be eligible for after a dog has bitten you:

  • Medical expenses: Reimbursement for medical treatment, such as emergency room visits, medications, doctor visits, surgeries, hospital stays, and rehabilitation
  • Lost wages: Financial compensation for missed time at work due to the injury and recovery
  • Pain and suffering: Compensation for emotional and physical distress caused by the injury, like the immediate pain of the injury and the pain after, such as diminished quality of life and mental anguish
  • Emotional distress: Covers the psychological effects and impact of a dog attack, like PTSD or trauma, anxiety, and depression
  • Property damage: Reimbursement for any personal items or property damaged in the incident, like a phone or clothing
  • Long-term care: Compensation to cover ongoing medical treatments, or if your injury has long-term impacts.

Attorney Dakota Smythe helped a dog bite victim gain $22,000 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. While walking to an ice cream shop with her uncle, a dog came out of a yard and bit our client in the arm. Despite the uncle trying to help, the dog remained latched on. Our client needed stitches, weeks of antibiotics, and after gained a small scar. Smythe ensured our client received the compensation needed for medical expenses and recovery.

Does Providence, RI, Have Specific Laws About Dog Bites?

Under Providence’s ordinances, all animal bites should be reported to animal control, because they are considered a matter of public health. If a dog has bitten you or a family member, call Providence Police, and an animal control officer will respond to complete paperwork and conduct an investigation. Any animal that bites someone must be placed in quarantine for 10 days.

Liability under Rhode Island’s dog bite laws depends on where the attack occurred. Dog owners are held strictly liable if their dog injures a person or another animal outside of the owner’s property. Therefore, the victim need not prove the owner was negligent or did anything wrong. The dog’s owner will be liable even if they were unaware of their dog’s violent propensities.

Conversely, if the bite occurs on the owner’s property, the “one bite rule” might apply. Under this rule, the owner is relieved from liability if the dog hasn’t bitten anyone before, so the owner couldn’t have known their pet would act aggressively. If you were injured on the owner’s property, you must prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous or hostile towards other people to recover compensation.

Why Contact a Rob Levine Law Dog Bite Lawyer?

Our firm is renowned for our relentless advocacy for injured or disabled clients. We have helped over 50,000 clients secure the justice and compensation they deserve. Our Providence dog bite lawyers have over 25 years of experience and have recovered over $2 billion in benefits and compensation for our deserving clients.

We also provide discounts for first responders and military personnel. Our clients get our best, with 24/7 availability and our “Fee Free Guarantee®,” so you won’t pay unless you win.

Contact our lawyers today or call at (800) 742-3920 so we can evaluate your case for free.

Dog Bite FAQs

The following are some answers to common questions we receive about dog bite claims:

How Can We Ensure My Child’s Emotional Trauma Is Addressed in the Legal Process, and How Do We Show the Long-Term Psychological Impact?

In personal injury lawsuits, victims can pursue compensation for emotional trauma and the costs of mental health treatment. To prove your child has long-term effects, keep medical records from psychologists and document the treatment. These records will provide a record of your child’s emotional trauma.

Many attorneys at our Providence office are local residents, so we understand the importance of handling cases with sensitivity and care, especially if it involves someone you know.

Yes, your attorney will handle all communications with the other party’s insurance company, so you and your family can focus on healing and feel confident that someone is fighting for you.

Even in a state with strict liability like Rhode Island, provocation can be a defense. Rhode Island has a pure comparative negligence rule.. This means victims can still recover damages even if they were partially at fault for the dog bite. However, the compensation is reduced in proportion to their share of the fault.

In Rhode Island, if an animal that is not vaccinated for rabies bites you and the animal appears healthy, animal control will recommend euthanasia or a 10-day quarantine. If the animal does not appear healthy, the Rhode Island Department of Health will consult with animal control and the state veterinarian to determine if quarantine, confinement, or euthanasia & testing of the animal for rabies is necessary.

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Office Location

Providence, RI

544 Douglas Ave
Providence RI 02908

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