Were you bitten by a dog in Nashville, TN? If so, the dog’s owner may owe you compensation. An experienced Nashville dog bite lawyer can help you fight to recover compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain, trauma, and any other damages you have experienced. Call Meyers Personal Injury Law at (615) 258-9000 to schedule a free consultation.
Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of injury victims and their families. We offer years of experience to every case we take on, and we have the skills to help you maximize your financial recovery and secure justice.
How Meyers Personal Injury Law Can Help Me Recover Compensation for Dog Bite Injuries in Nashville
While you’re recovering, our Nashville personal injury attorneys will do the following for you:
- Conduct a detailed investigation
- Gather evidence about the dog’s history and the owner’s knowledge of the risk of danger
- Identify all sources of insurance compensation
- Deal with the paperwork and insurance claims process
- Work with experts as needed to determine the value of your case
- Negotiate with the other side for a full and fair insurance settlement
- Prepare to take your case to trial–if necessary–to get a full compensation award
Dog bites can be both overwhelming and traumatic. They often result in costly medical treatment and lasting mental trauma. You may be dealing with a difficult recovery.
Unfortunately, not all dog owners step up and accept responsibility. Many refuse to admit that with dog ownership comes a duty to prevent the dog from causing injuries. They may even try to shift the blame to you, regardless of whether you were at fault.
You can count on our Nashville personal injury attorneys to do everything possible to help. Members of our legal team have been recognized by Super Lawyers, Expertise.com, and Justia.
Reach out to our law office in Nashville, Tennessee today to schedule a free consultation.
How Much Is My Nashville Dog Bite Injury Case Worth?
All dog bite injury claims are different, and the value of your case can vary drastically. Some dog injuries are minor wounds that heal quickly, while others can lead to infection or require reconstructive surgery or painful skin grafting procedures.
Long-term or permanent dog bite injuries tend to result in the highest financial payouts, depending on the nature of those injuries and how they can alter a victim’s life.
Key considerations that will impact the value of your personal injury case include:
- The severity of your injuries
- Your expenses, including medical costs
- The value of any lost wages
- Long-term impacts, including future costs and lost earning capacity
- The physical and mental trauma you experienced
Consulting an experienced Nashville dog bite attorney is the best way to gain a solid understanding of your case value.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Lawyer to Handle a Dog Bite Case in Nashville?
Hiring a dog bite lawyer won’t strain your finances. Many victims worry about incurring legal fees, but our law firm operates on a contingency fee model.
There are no upfront fees or retainers. You only pay if we recover compensation in your case. If we do recover compensation on your behalf, you will pay a set percentage of your settlement or court award.
This fee structure ensures that everyone has access to high-quality, affordable legal services.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Dog Bite Victims in Nashville?
A dog’s owner can be liable for a range of damages if their dog has injured you. These damages are generally divided into two classes: economic damages and non-economic damages. They’re also called compensatory damages, because they compensate a victim for specific, identifiable losses.
Examples of the types of damages dog bite victims may pursue include:
- Current medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Rehabilitation
- Surgeries
- Nursing care
- Mental health counseling
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- PTSD and fear
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement and permanent scarring
Our team can help you document your losses, including injuries, treatments, and any losses related to the dog attack.
Can I Recover Damages if I’m Being Blamed for Provoking a Dog to Bite in Tennessee?
Provocation is a defense to Tennessee’s dog bite liability laws. If evidence proves that you did something to provoke the dog, Tennessee’s modified comparative negligence law will apply to reduce your settlement or court award in proportion to your degree of fault. If the defendant proves that you were at least 50% responsible, you lose your right to damages entirely.
Our Dog Bite Attorneys in Nashville Will Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries
Dog bite injuries can vary significantly from case to case. Regardless of how badly you were injured, our attorneys are here to fight to hold the dog’s owner accountable.
We often represent dog bite victims who have suffered:
- Deep cuts and puncture wounds
- Broken bones, which can occur if the dog knocks you to the ground
- Concussions
- Dislocations
- Soft tissue damage to the muscles, ligaments, and tendons
- Facial injuries, which can require reconstructive surgeries
- Eye injuries and damage to your vision
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Infections, which can lead to amputations or sepsis in the most severe cases
- Emotional trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder
- Wrongful death
Seek medical attention immediately after any dog bite. Even a relatively minor dog bite can become infected and dangerous if not treated promptly. You should also promptly report the dog bite to animal control in Nashville.
What Do I Have to Prove to Recover Compensation for Dog Bite Injuries in Nashville?
Every state applies its own laws when it comes to dog bite injuries. Some states hold a dog’s owner responsible for dog bite injuries without any proof of fault. This is called a strict liability law. Others only hold a dog’s owner liable if the dog had bitten someone in the past–a so-called “one-bite rule”.
Tennessee has both strict liability laws and a one-bite rule, depending primarily on where the dog bite occurred. All dog owners in Tennessee have a duty to keep their dogs reasonably under control and to prevent dogs from running at large.
Dog Bite Occurs in a Public Place or Property Owned By Someone Other Than the Dog’s Owner
If a dog bites you on public property, strict liability law applies. The strict liability law also applies if the bite occurs on private property where you’re lawfully authorized to be present, as long as the property is not the dog owner’s own property.
In strict liability cases, the dog’s owner is liable for your damages regardless of whether they had knowledge of the dog’s vicious tendencies. So, you wouldn’t have to prove negligence or fault to recover damages.
Dog Bite Occurs on the Dog Owner’s Private Property
A one-bite rule applies if the victim was bitten while on residential, farm, or other noncommercial property, if the dog’s owner is the owner of the property or a tenant with permission to occupy the property.
Under the one-bite rule, you must prove:
- You had permission to be on the dog owner’s property.
- The dog bit you.
- The dog’s owner knew, or reasonably should have known, that the dog had vicious tendencies.
When a dog has bitten before, the law presumes that the owner knew about the dog’s dangerous tendencies.
Defenses to Tennessee Dog Bite Liability Laws
Several defenses are built into Tennessee’s dog bite liability laws.
The dog’s owner may be able to escape liability with any of the following defenses:
- You were trespassing when the dog bit you.
- You did something to entice or provoke the dog to bite you.
- The dog was protecting its owner or another innocent party from an attack by the victim or their dog.
- The dog was a police or military dog performing its duties, and the handler used proper restraint.
- The bite occurred when the dog was secured in a kennel, crate, or another enclosure.
Any of these defenses can serve to limit–or eliminate–your right to compensation after a dog bite injury. Remember, that’s only true if the owner has evidence to prove their defense. An experienced lawyer can help counter any allegations that you were somehow responsible.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After Suffering a Dog Bite Injury in Tennessee?
The statute of limitations in Tennessee typically gives you just one year to file a personal injury lawsuit. The one-year time period starts to run on the date the dog attacked you. After a year passes, you may forfeit your right to compensation, so it’s important to take legal action soon after the injury.
Contact a Trusted Nashville Dog Bite Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
If a dog attacked you in Nashville, you shouldn’t have to struggle with the aftermath alone. The dog’s owner should be held responsible for failing to control their animal. To learn more about your legal rights, call an experienced Nashville dog bite attorney at Meyers Personal Injury Law for a free consultation today.
