If you are the victim of an animal attack or a dog bite injury it is important that you seek medical attention.  Dog bites can cause serious infections if left untreated. There may also be injuries to tissues deep beneath the skin (bones, blood vessels, muscles, nerves…).  Extremely vicious attacks may require an emergency room visit or transportation by ambulance.  It is also extremely important to identify the dog and dog’s owner- not only for liability but also to ensure that the animal is current with its rabies vaccinations. Taking a photograph of injury as soon as possible is also helpful in establishing the extent of the injury.

As soon as you are able, contact an experienced dog bite attorney to help you understand your rights.  If you have been injured by an animal attack or if you have suffered a dog bite injury and you meet the guidelines provided in the Illinois Animal Control Act, you are entitled to recover money from the dog’s owner for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and compensation for any disfigurement.  Attorney Tim Henderson will work hard for you to make sure you receive the compensation you need and deserve.

Dogs can be man’s best friend and they are loyal companions. They can reduce an owner’s stress, reduce the risk of heart problems, help their owner stay in shape, and help them become more social.  Service dogs are used by police to detect drugs and by the armed services to detect explosives.  Dogs have been trained to detect seizures before they happen, used as guide dogs for the visually impaired, detect the presence of allergens and assist the physically impaired.

However, when pet owners do not exercise “responsible pet ownership” the results can be tragic.  85% to 90% of all animal attacks involve dogs.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year – a statistic that may be low because not all bites are reported.  Half of these bite-related injuries involve children.

State Farm reported that in 2013 there were 3,700 dog bite claims filed with them in the United States with 309 claims being filed in Illinois.  California, which had 449 claims, was the only state with more claims than Illinois.  The Postal Service in a 2013 ranking of dog attacks per city placed the city of Chicago as #5 with 47 attacks.

Illinois is a strict liability state and the Illinois Animal Control Act helps clarify the rights and remedies available to a someone who has been injured by an animal:

Animal attacks or injuries. If a dog or other animal, without provocation, attacks, attempts to attack, or injures any person who is peaceably conducting himself or herself in any place where he or she may lawfully be, the owner of such dog or other animal is liable in civil damages to such person for the full amount of the injury proximately caused thereby.

Success is no accident and Timothy Henderson has been successfully representing dog bite victims in the Cook, DuPage, Will & Kane County areas (including the cities of Chicago, Skokie, Joliet, Oak Brook, and Cicero) for years.

Attorney Timothy Henderson will give you the representation you need.  Contact him today. Call (312) 444-9400 for a free consultation and case evaluation.