The father of a former Western Union Elementary School student is suing the Union County Board of Education for North Carolina injuries to a minor because a pit bull terrier bit his son on the school playground in 2010. According to the North Carolina dog bite lawsuit, the stray animal entered the school premises. Meantime, while the board acknowledges that the dog got onto the grounds and bit Jordan, it denies responsibility.

If you or someone you love was injured in a dog attack that occurred on another person’s property, you may have reason for filing a North Carolina personal injury lawsuit against the premise owner and/or the dog owner. Property owners can be held liable for North Carolina premises liability if there is a danger or unsafe condition on the property that causes injury that would/could/should have been prevented if it weren’t for the owner’s negligence.

Dog owners can also be held liable for the victim’s injuries. However, because of the state’s laws regarding contributory negligence, which stops victims that played any role in causing their injury from obtaining damages, receiving the compensation you are owed can be tough. Also, it doesn’t help that the state’s laws regarding dog bites appear to be more to the dog owner’s advantage.

For example, a North Carolina dog owner can be held strictly liable for the animal’s injuries if he/she purposely and willfully violated the state’s prohibition against letting dogs run at large. However, this is only applicable if the dog is more than six months old and was running at large on its own during night hours. Strict liability may also apply if severe injury or death resulted and the animal had been used in dog fighting or was previously declared “potentially dangerous” for either having terrorized or caused injury to another human being or animal while off the owner’s property. These are just some of the reasons why you should work with an experienced Monroe, North Carolina dog bite law firm that knows how to prove negligence and obtain the maximum recovery possible.

You should know that a dog doesn’t need to have broken skin during the bite for you to have grounds for a Charlotte, North Carolina dog attack claim. Dog bites can cause serious emotional injury and mental trauma that can impede the victim’s life. Also, as we mentioned earlier in the blog post, there may be more than one party who should be held liable for your North Carolina dog bite injuries.

Also, if a dog bit you, you should seek medical attention right away. Even if the actual physical injury doesn’t appear severe you may be at risk of infection or rabies, which can exacerbate your condition. Some dog bite injuries can be so serious that they can lead to permanent disfigurement, scarring, organ damage, and even death.

Father Sues Union School Board Over Dog Bite Incident, WSOCTV, August 31, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Dog Bites, American Humane Society

Dog Bites, Nolo

More Blog Posts:
Waxhaw Pit Bull Attack Leaves 5-Year-Old Dead and Her Grandmother with Serious Injuries, North Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog, January 12, 2011

Mint Hill Dog Attack Injures Grandmother and Six-Year-Old Boy, North Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog, December 24, 2010

Eye Complications Can Develop in Children Suffering from North Carolina Dog Bite Injuries to the Face, North Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog, October 29, 2010

5-year-old girl McKayla Woodard has died from injuries she sustained this morning during a Waxhaw, North Carolina dog attack involving two pit bulls. Her grandmother, who tried to rescue her from the dogs, is alive but with serious injuries.

A family member of McKayla’s says that the Union, North Carolina dog mauling happened as the young girl tried to get into the fenced yard next to her home. The two pit bulls belonged to neighbor Michael Gordon. Police have since shot them dead. It is not known at this time why they were running loose in the area.

Media outlets have said that McKayla sustained multiple dog bite wounds around her neck—an area of the body where young children are especially vulnerable to serious dog attack injuries. One reason for this is that the neck is an area on kids that is not difficult for a dog to reach. Children are also vulnerable to dog bite injuries on their lips, cheeks, head, ears, and nose. According to research published in 2009 in the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, pit bulls were the most likely culprits when it came to inflicting these types of dog bite injuries to kids. Injuries to the head and face can result in permanent disfigurement, severe pain, scarring, and, in some cases, death.

North Carolina’s contributory negligence law can make it challenging for victims and their families to obtain damages from liable parties, which is just one reason why you should consult with an experienced Union County, North Carolina dog bite law firm.

Pit bulls kill 5-year-old girl, attack grandmother in Waxha, Charlotte Observer, January 12, 2011

Pit bulls kill 5-year-old, maul her grandmother, WCNC, January 12, 2011

Analysis of Dog Bites in Children Who Are Younger Than 17 Years, Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Dog Bites A Particular Threat To Young Children, Especially As Temperatures Rise, Science Daily, March 2, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Dog Bites, Nolo

DogsBite.org

According to a recent study, approximately one in seven children who are treated for facial dog bite injuries end up with ophthalmic injuries. These injuries can lead to health complications and the need for revision surgery.

The retrospective review examined 537 kids who were treated at a hospital for their facial dog bite injuries between 2003 and 2008. 77 of the kids suffered from ophthalmic injuries. All of the injuries involved the eyelids. The authors of the study say that ophthalmic injuries, more than nonophthalmic injuries, can lead to complications, such as:

• Epiphora
• Upper eyelid ptosis
• Nasolacrimal duct obstruction
• Eyelid notching

Surgical repair was more likely required with ophthalmic injuries.

Charlotte North Carolina Dog Bite Injuries
Regardless of whether the victim of a North Carolina dog attack is a child or an adult, dog bite injuries can be extremely painful, traumatic, and disfiguring. Facial injuries can be especially difficult to heal and repair—especially for young children, who are still growing and changing at a rapid rate. A child who has serious facial injuries after being mauled by a dog or another animal may have to wait years before undergoing reconstructive surgery. Facial injuries can lead to all sorts of emotional and psychological traumas.

Facial Dog Bite Injuries in Children Affect the Eyes More Often Than Previously Reported, Medscape, October 29, 2010

Cat and Dog Bites, Family Doctor

Related Web Resources:
Prevention and Treatment of Dog Bites, American Family Physician

Dog Bite Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

A Mocksville men was injured on Sunday evening in a North Carolina dog attack when he was bitten three boxers. David Potts was jogging when the animals surrounded him. They didn’t stop biting him until their owner, Ralph Kinary, called them off.

Potts had to undergo surgery to repair his arm tendon. He also needed 30 stitches for his arms and legs.

The dogs were in the owner’s backyard and weren’t leashed because the owner’s wife was outside at the time. Kinary told WXII that the dogs had never been vicious until now and he doesn’t know why they chose to attack Potts.

North Carolina Dog Bites
Under state law, dog owners are not allowed to let dogs older than six months run at large at night unless they are accompanied by the owner, the owner’s relative, or someone else in charge of supervising the animals. Our Charlotte, North Carolina dog bite lawyers want to remind you of the importance of exploring your legal options soon after the incident.

Because the state has laws regarding contributory negligence, you will need experienced North Carolina injury representation to prove that you didn’t contribute to causing your dog bite injuries. This is not the kind of North Carolina personal injury case that you want to handle on your own.

Recent Dog Bite Facts from the Insurance Information Institute:
• $412 million was spent on dog-bite insurance claims in 2009—up from the $387.2 million in homeowners’ insurance liability that was paid the year before.
• On average, a dog bite claim costs $24,840.
• The increase in dog-bite related costs can be credited to to dog bite injury verdicts and judgment and injury-related medical costs that have gone above the inflation rate.

Jogger Encircled, Attacked By Dogs, WXII12, August 30, 2010

Dog-Bite Claims Exceeded $400 Million in 2009 on Higher Medical Costs, InsuranceNewsNet, August 23, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Dog Bite Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dog Bites: When Is an Owner Liable?, Nolo

Michael A. DeMayo, a Charlotte, North Carolina personal injury lawyer, is now a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the country. Members must have won multi-million dollar verdicts, settlements, and awards for their clients. Attorney DeMayo, who is founder and president of the Law Offices of Michael A. DeMayo, is also a Life Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Less than 1% of US attorneys belong to this group, known for its excellence in advocacy and for having obtained for at least one client an award, settlement, or verdict of $1 million or greater.

Charlotte, Personal Injury Attorney DeMayo leads a team of dedicated professionals with over 100 years of combined legal experience. They are committed to obtaining the financial recovery that their clients and families are owed by negligent parties. Our North Carolina law firm represents victims and surviving family members with all types of injury cases, including those involving medical malpractice, automobile accidents, truck accidents, slip and fall, products liability, defective medical devices, dangerous drugs, nursing home neglect and abuse, motorcycle accidents, dog bites, pedestrian accidents, and workers’ compensation. The Law Offices of Michael DeMayo is located in Charlotte, Monroe, Hickory, and Lumberton, North Carolina. We also represent clients with South Carolina personal injury cases in the counties of Marlboro, Chesterfield, York and Lancaster.

Charlotte, North Carolina Car Accident Lawyer Michael A. DeMayo is also an active member of the community. Each year, his law firm awards college scholarships to a number of high school seniors for their innovative and creative ideas on ways to stop teens from driving drunk.

Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum & Million Dollar Advocates Forum

Michael A. DeMayo, Esq.

Verdicts & Settlements, Law Office of Michael A. DeMayo

A 7-year-old boy required over 100 stitches after he mauled by a neighbor’s pit bull. Ravion “Ray Ray” Cunningham was riding his bike last week when the 1-year-old pit bull mix attacked him.

One neighbor who witnessed the South Carolina dog attack and ran to Cunningham’s rescue says she thinks the dog was trying to play with the boy and got excited when the 7-year-old ran away. Cunningham sustained buttock and facial injuries and part of his right ear was severed during the South Carolina dog bite incident.

While hospital staffers were able to reattach the boy’s ear and stitch up his wounds, doctors have said that the boy likely will have permanent scars. Ravion’s mother, LaQuantra Cunningham, says her son had nightmares after the dog attack.

Police have cited Luis Muniz, dog owner for allegedly violating the city of Rock Hill’s ordinance that dangerous dogs must be muzzled or contained. Muniz told journalists that his family has given the pet to animal control and told police to euthanize the dog.

North Carolina Dog Bite Injuries
Dog bite injuries can be very painful and, depending on the severity of the injuries, can result in extensive scarring and permanent disfigurement. Kids are especially prone to serious, disfiguring injuries. Dogs can more easily reach their faces during an attack and a child who sustains dog mauling injuries may have to wait until he or she is fully grown before undergoing plastic or reconstructive surgery. In the meantime, the child must grow up with scars and other disfiguring injuries, which can negatively impact the self-esteem and affect one’s social development.

You may be able to hold the dog owner liable for your dog bite injuries, which can be extremely costly to treat and recover from.

7-year-old attacked by neighbor’s dog, Charlotte Observer, January 19, 2010

Boy, 7, requires more than 100 stitches after pit bull attack in Rock, Herald Online, January 17, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Dog Bite Prevention, CDC

Dog Bite Treatment, MedicineNet

A 9-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital on Thursday after the neighbor’s pit bull attacked her. The Charlotte, North Carolina dog mauling incident happened in the girl’s own home after a neighbor brought the pet over so her family could consider whether to buy it.

Giselle Moquete, 9, was petting “Rocky” when he suddenly started mauling her face. The pit bull’s owner, Johnathan Hall, pulled the dog off the girl. Hall says a man he met while shooting basketball had given him the dog the day before the dog attack occurred.

Giselle had to get stitches for her facial injuries. Meantime, Rocky has been quarantined. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department says they won’t file charges against Hall, who is unfamiliar with the dog’s history.

While not all pit bulls are dangerous, the police department says that they get a number of calls each year regarding Charlotte dog bite incidents involving pit bulls. This breed of dog is one of the most common breeds in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.

If someone you love was injured in a Charlotte dog attack, you should talk to a North Carolina personal injury law firm to determine whether you should file a personal injury case.

Young children are especially vulnerable to dog bite injuries. Because young kids are smaller and shorter than adults, they are more likely to sustain neck and head injuries during a dog attack. According to research published in the March issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, a large number of dog attacks happen during the summer. One reason for this could be that kids are out of school and are spending more time outdoors where dogs may also be playing. Dogs may also become more easily irritated when the weather is hot.

The study reported that areas of the neck and the head that dogs are most likely to bite include the:

• Cheeks
• Lips
• Ears
• Nose

Pit bulls were the dogs most likely to cause facial injuries during dog attacks. 64% of young children that sustained neck or head injuries sustained injuries in more than one area.

9-year-old girl recovering after pit bull attack, News 14 Carolina, July 24, 2009

9-year-old hospitalized after pit bull attack, WCNC, July 24, 2009

Dog Bites A Particular Threat To Young Children, Especially As Temperatures Rise, Science Daily, March 2, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Pit bulls at top of fatal attacks, SF Gate, June 23, 2005

In Mecklenburg County, a 6-year-old boy is in critical condition after being attacked by a pit bull on Wednesday. Also injured in the Mint Hill dog mauling incident was the child’s grandmother, who tried to rescue him. The pit bull belongs to a relative. Both grandmother and grandson had to undergo surgery from their injuries.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control has taken the dog into custody. It is not clear at this time whether charges will be filed.

North Carolina Dog Bite Injuries
Injuries from a dog bite can be excruciatingly painful for a victim. Young children and the elderly are especially at risk of sustaining dog bite injuries. Disfigurement, scarring, and emotional trauma can result.

According to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, nearly twice as many people were hospitalized for dog bite injuries in 2008 than in 1993 when 5,100 dog bite victims were hospitalized. 9,500 dog attack patients were hospitalized two years ago.

• Also, in 2008, approximately 866 people day sought ER care for their dog bites. About 26 were admitted daily.
• About 50% of hospitalized patients were treated for tissue and skin infections.
• Many of the patients needed wound debridement or skin grafts.
• $18,200 was the average cost of a hospital stay for dog bite injuries.

Some dog bite wounds are serious enough to require plastic or reconstructive surgery. Because kids are still growing and developing, they may have to wait several years before undergoing such procedures, which can cause them to develop social issues and low self-esteem.

Because of the state’s contributory negligence law, settling your North Carolina dog mauling claim can be tough, which is why you need to explore your options with an experienced Charlotte, North Carolina dog bite law firm as soon as possible.

6-year-old boy critically injured in pit bull attack, Charlotte Observer, December 24, 2010

Risks: Hospital Admissions for Dog Bites Are on the Rise, The New York Times, December 10, 2010

Emergency Department Visits and Inpatient Stays Involving Dog Bites, 2008, AHRQ (PDF)

Related Web Resources:
Animal Bites, National Institute of Health

Quick Overview of Dog Bite Laws, Animal Law

This month, The Law Offices of Michael A DeMayo participated in two community service events. The first event was Walk Like MADD, which is hosted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Michael A DeMayo served as the honorary chair for the annual 5k walk, which took place on May 2. Proceeds from the walk will go toward helping drunk driving victims and fund programs to prevent underage drinking and drunk driving.

Over two dozen of the North Carolina injury law firm’s employees and their families took part in the event. Together, they helped raise over $2,500. Attorney DeMayo and his staff are familiar with the struggles that drunk driving accident victims and their families face. He and his law firm represent North Carolina and South Carolina clients that have been injured and those whose loved ones have died in drunk driving accidents in their pursuit to recover personal injury or wrongful death compensation from all negligent parties. Just last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that both states experienced the largest spike in DUI fatalities among all US states between 2006 and 2007.

This past Saturday, employees from the Charlotte branch of the Law Offices of Michael A DeMayo participated in another event, this one at a Habitat for Humanity house. They pulled up their sleeves and spent the morning hanging dry wall at the home, which is being built for a low-income family. The North Carolina personal injury law firm, which also has law offices in Monroe and Hickory, made a $15,000 donation to this worthwhile cause.

Attorney DeMayo praised Habitat for Humanity for helping so many people in the Charlotte community that are in need of affordable housing. He also touted the benefits that his employees reaped by volunteering for this “great, team building” experience.

The Law Offices of Michael A DeMayo, LLP also helps clients with injury or wrongful death cases involving medical malpractice, nursing home abuse or neglect, defective medical devices, products liability, dog bites, and workers’ compensation.

Related Web Resources:
Walk Like MADD, Charlotte, NC

Habitat for Humanity, Charlotte

NHTSA Ranks North Carolina and South Carolina as Two US States With Greatest Increase In DUI Deaths, North Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog, September 2, 2008

In Raleigh, North Carolina last year, police responded to 367 reports of animal attacks—a 56% increase since 2000. According to the News & Observer.com, someone is bitten by a dog every day in Raleigh.

The newspaper goes on to report that many dog bite victims in the city are not happy with the way dog bite cases are handled, saying that the burden of proof and the costs of the injuries frequently lie with the dog bite victims.

State law requires that all dogs must undergo a 10-day quarantine and rabies check.

One Raleigh dog bite victim, Malinda Delbridge, was bitten by a pit bull late last year trying to pull its jaws off her poodle. The pit bull’s owner paid a $50 fine for not having proof of a rabies vaccine and $150 to release the dog from quarantine. Delbridge was billed $300 for medical expenses.

In North Carolina, a dog is considered dangerous if it has terrorized someone, broken a victim’s bones, or caused a disfiguring injury. This means that most of the time, a dog has to bite someone first before it can be considered “dangerous.” According to one animal control supervisor, a dog in Raleigh gets classified as “dangerous” no more than three times annually because the bite wounds are not considered serious enough.

A Raleigh appeals board meeting last September to hear dangerous dog cases was the first time the group had met in five years.

Other North Carolina cities and counties are reportedly tougher when it comes to classifying dogs as dangerous. In Cumberland County last year, animal control declared 29 dogs dangerous after they bit humans and 15 dogs that exhibited violence against other dogs were classified as aggressive. The city of Charlotte classified 10 dogs as dangerous.

In North Carolina, if a doctor does not call an injury a dog bite, it cannot be reported as one—which may lead to many dog bite injuries going unreported.

To prove owner negligence in a North Carolina injury dog bite case, the victim must prove that the dog was unattended, not on its owner’s property at night, or had already been classified as “dangerous.”

If you or someone you love has sustained a serious dog bite injury in North Carolina or South Carolina, one of our dog bite lawyers would be happy to discuss your legal options with you.

A Few Dog Bite Facts:

• Nationally, 334,000 victims a year are treated in emergency rooms for dog bites.
• Dog bites are among the leading injuries that require medical attention.
• More than half of dog bite victims are children.

Dog-bite law tough on victims, Newsobserver.com, January 20, 2008

Dog Bite Statistics, The Pet Friendly House

Related Web Resources:

North Carolina Dog Bite Law

South Carolina Dog Bite Law

Injuries from dog bites can be more serious than you think—especially if you are mauled or attacked by a large or dangerous dog.

In North Carolina, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area is reporting more than 550 dog bite incidents this year so far. Children and the elderly tend to be at highest risk for being attacked by a dog.

North Carolina has a dog bite law that holds the owner of the dog strictly liable for injuries inflicted by the pet on another person or another person’s property if the pet was unrestrained when the attack occurred. That said, the owner must have allowed the dog to run at large at night, the dog must be of a certain age, and the injured victim must prove that the dog owner knowingly and purposely allowed the dog to be at large without restraint.

If a victim incurs a serious dog bite injury when the dog was not “running at large,” the dog owner can be held strictly if the dog was previously declared a “potentially dangerous dog.” A dog is declared “potentially dangerous” if it has killed or injured another animal while not on the owner’s property or previously terrorized or seriously terrorized a human being.

Dog bite injuries can range from minor bite marks to serious injuries, including abrasions, punctures, lacerations, tissue loss, fractured bones, facial injuries, permanent disfigurement, scars, rabies, infection, and death. Emotional and mental trauma can also result. Some mauling injuries, especially to the face, may require multiple surgeries (including reconstructive surgery and plastic surgery).

Every year, about 800,000 people require medical care for their dog bite injuries. Some 4.7 million people a year are attacked by dogs. 15-20 dog bite injury victims die annually.

In 2004, the following dog breeds topped the CDC’s list of dangerous dogs:

• Pit bulls
• Rottweilers
• German Shepherds
• Huskies
• Alaskan Malamutes
• Doberman Pinschers
• Chow Chows
• Great Danes
• St. Bernards
• Akitas

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured by a dog in North Carolina or South Carolina, an experienced dog bite lawyer may be able to help you prove that the dog attack occurred because the owner was negligent.

Defending yourself against a dangerous dog, WCNC, November 14, 2007

North Carolina Dog Bite Law

CDC’s 10 Most Dangerous Dogs List, Free Republic, January 14, 2004

Related Web Resource:

Dog Bite Statistics, The Pet Friendly House