North Carolina Dog Bite Laws and Owner Liability

After a vicious attack, the first thing we tell our clients is to seek medical attention. Your health is our number one priority. Allow your medical provider to analyze and document your injuries and further determine if you will need a series of vaccinations against rabies. It takes up to 10 days of observation and confinement to be certain you have not contracted any infectious or life-threatening diseases such as rabies or a staph infection. Confinement will be determined by your medical practitioner. Follow all medical advice and take any prescribed medications given to you by your provider. It is vital to attend all follow-up doctor’s visits and adhere to your physician’s treatment plan.

Here is an easy to follow plan after a Dog Bite Attack.

• Call 911 or your local precinct for emergencies and get medical attention
• Report the attack to your County’s Animal Control Center or the Sheriff’s Department
• Contact your local Medical Director
• For Onslow County Animal Control, call 910-455-0182 and select option #1.
• Call an attorney that will fight for you. Call King Law Firm (800) 635-1683

Be sure to take note of the time, place and other pertinent information you deem necessary soon after the occurrence. It helps to have the dog owner’s name and address, but if you don’t have it we can investigate that portion of your case for you. Keep incident reports, medical bills, and any other expenses in a safe place like a water-resistant folder.

Gather information on any witnesses that may be able to testify on your behalf. If you have any video footage or recordings of the incident, be sure to save it properly. Additionally, pictures of your wounds can significantly help your case. There is nothing like an image that captures what words cannot. We strongly advise you to record or document everything you remember as soon as you can after the attack or have a friend or family member do it for you are unable to.

Don’t be afraid to seek mental health assistance due to your traumatic experience. At the end of the day, what matters most is your personal healing. Knowing what to do after an attack is key to making sure you keep your case valid. But what is even better, is receiving compensation to help you cope with the irresponsibility of someone else’s actions as a dog owner.

Some areas of compensation include:

• Payment or reimbursement of medical bills
• Paid time off work due to the dog bite injury
• Compensation for pain and suffering
• Compensation for the traumatic experience

What if the attack was done by a stray dog?

There are measures you can take to prevent others from similar or worse injuries. You may not receive monetary compensation, but that is for us to determine. Investigations can lead to answers you didn’t know were there.

When it comes to a stray dog bites, it is necessary as a community member to report the attack to help others avoid the same situation. It is impossible to know exactly why you were attacked, but the laws in the state of North Carolina are there to protect and help you.

North Carolina has a one bite rule. This simply means that the owner of a dog which is not known to be dangerous cannot be liable for the actions of that dog the first time it behaves in a vicious way.  However, after the dog is involved in a single biting incident, the owner is responsible for all future dog bite incidents.

Dog attacks happen due to various reasons and for the most part, we have limited control when it happens. It can be that the dog was mistreated and reacted out of fear. The dog may have been trained to attack for dog fights and doesn’t know how to control its aggressive behavior. Some dogs are bred to be aggressive and others are just naturally more hostile than others.

Did the dog have a history of injuring others? Was it on a leash or expressing aggressive behavior before the incident? No matter what the case is, you must be protected after a life-threatening incident like this. Hiring an attorney to help you face the obstacles that can stand in your way after an attack, is what can make all the difference.

Obtaining legal advice and representation means empowering yourself to bring resolve to your life. Our lawyers will help you determine if laws were violated and to what extent a dog owner can be held liable. Lawsuits are lost every day due to people being unprepared or simply not knowing the law. King Law Firm is in the business of winning. Our specialists are well-versed in negotiations and settlements and will obtain the best compensation for your case. Don’t be discouraged with legal terminology or lack of legal knowledge in defending yourself. We will guide you along to way to make sure your best interest is at hand and we’ll be happy to explain things in terminology you understand. The question now is, will you make the call to King Law Firm? The ball is in your court and time is of the essence. Call now: (800) 635-1683. Or, contact us via our website.

We've Been Helping Injured North Carolinians For Over 30 Years

At King Law Firm we understand that a serious injury is a life-changing event.  Our North Carolina Personal Injury Lawyers have years of experience with all types of personal injury cases.  We not only understand the legal aspect of your case, but we also understand the emotional side you are facing.  No two personal injury cases are alike but over the past three decades, we have assisted with just about any type of injury case there is.  

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1035 Director Ct,
Suite A,
Greenville, NC 27834
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3186 Zebulon, Dr.
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
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4200 Morganton Road
Suite 200-6
Fayetteville, NC 28314
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