Articles Posted in Dog Bites

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Dogs provide loving and loyal companionship. However, they are animals and from time to time, some dogs attack and bite innocent people. When these incidents occur, personal injuries can result. As accident lawyers we see these incidents occur quite frequently to our clients. There are an estimated 900 people each day that are brought to hospitals due to dog bites. These incidents are extremely common. Many of these victims naturally wonder if they can sue for their injuries. Massachusetts dog bite law is set forth here:

If any dog shall do any damage to either the body or property of any person, the owner or keeper, or if the owner or keeper be a minor, the parent or guardian of such minor, shall be

liable for such damage, unless such damage shall have been occasioned to the body or property of a person who, at the time such damage was sustained, was committing a trespass or other tort, or was teasing, tormenting or abusing such a dog. If a minor, on whose behalf an action under this section is brought, is under seven years of age at the time the damage was done, it shall be presumed that such minor was not committing a trespass or other tort, or teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog, and the burden of proof thereof shall be upon the defendant in such action. You may think your back problem is adequately compensated with a $5000 settlement.

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Los resbalones, tropiezos y caídas representan un tercio de todos los daños personales en el lugar de trabajo. Los tipos de lesiones que se producen incluyen lesiones en la cabeza, la espalda y el cuello, roturas de huesos, cortes, esguinces y tirones musculares.

  1. Es esencial informar del accidente de trabajo a tu empleador.
  2. Si se ha lesionado, hágase examinar por un médico para poder recuperarse de sus lesiones. 
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1. Not Filing a Police Report

  • Filing a police report is essential in maintaining a strong case. By providing documentation of the accident, the police report allows for an unbiased third-party account of the incident. It legitimizes the claim the victim has, while also providing effectual evidence in comparison to hearsay from either the victim or the plaintiff.

2. Not Seeking Medical Attention

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Insurance companies like to play games with innocent injury victims. Don’t fall for their tricks and traps. Here are seven insider secrets insurance adjusters don’t want you to know about. 

  1. When Insurance companies tell you that their offer is final, they are not telling you the truth. Nearly every adjuster can get additional settlement authority from a supervisor to settle a case. 
  2. You do NOT have to sign anything. Never sign something an insurance adjuster sends to you without having it first reviewed by an attorney. 
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Cuando se trata de reclamaciones por la causa de accidentes, tener cuidado es esencial ya que la decisión equivocada podría destruir tu reclamo. Como abogado que ha estado representando a víctimas de lesiones personales durante casi dos décadas, me he acostumbrado a cómo funciona el proceso en casos como estos, conocidos como los 5 pecados capitales. 

Para empezar, el primer pecado mortal es asumir que la compañía de seguros está de su lado. Las compañías de seguros están en el negocio con el fin de hacer dinero. A menudo, dificultan el pago a las víctimas de lesiones. Las compañías de seguros sólo te tomarán en serio a ti y a tu caso una vez que se muestren pruebas y sea evidente que vas en serio. La mejor manera de hacerlo es contratar a un abogado para que te ayude, suponiendo que necesite uno para su caso. 

El segundo pecado mortal es dar a la compañía de seguros una declaración grabada. Esto debe evitarse siempre, sin embargo, si usted ya ha dado una declaración grabada a la compañía de seguros, podemos ayudar a deshacer cualquier daño que la declaración grabada puede haber causado a su reclamo.

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When it comes to accident claims, being careful is essential- and the wrong move could wreck your accident claim. As an attorney who’s been representing personal injury victims for nearly two decades-I’ve become accustomed to how the game works in cases like these, known as the 5 Deadly Sins. 

To begin, the first deadly sin is assuming the insurance company is on your side. Insurance companies are in the business of making money. They will often make it difficult to pay money out to deserving injury victims. Insurance companies will only take you and your case seriously once proof is shown and it’s evident that you mean business. The best way to do this is to hire an attorney to help you, assuming you need one for your case. 

The second deadly sin is giving the insurance company a recorded statement. This should be avoided at all costs, however, if you have already given a recorded statement to the insurance company, we can help undo any damage the recorded statement may have caused to your claim.

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Al respecto, cuando se compra un coche o se alquila un apartamento, hay que tener en cuenta muchas cosas, como el seguro, la calidad, el vecindario, etc. Es lo mismo a la hora de contratar a un abogado. Así como es importante contratar al abogado correcto, también es importante no equivocarse de representante. Hay algunas cosas en las que uno se debe fijar cuando está buscando el abogado adecuado. 

Para empezar, ¿tiene el abogado un historial de quejas éticas? Si es así, quizás sea el momento de buscar otro abogado. Hay una gran cantidad de abogados que no tienen ningún cargo disciplinario presentado contra ellos. Siempre, revise el sitio web “www.massbbo.org’‘ para buscar un abogado que le interese y guste, para representarse. Si él o ella tiene un historial disciplinario manchado, puede ser una señal mala e indicación que debería seguir buscando otro abogado. 

En segundo lugar, ¿le promete el abogado un acuerdo rápido? Eso también puede ser una señal de alarma, no hay duda de que los casos de lesiones personales y de compensación de los trabajadores pueden tomar un tiempo considerable para resolver, a veces el proceso puede tomar muchos meses y a veces incluso años para resolver un caso. Cualquier abogado que le diga lo contrario, no está siendo sincero con usted. 

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Similar to buying a car, or even renting an apartment – there are many things to consider when hiring an attorney. Just as important it is to hire the right lawyer, it is equally important to avoid hiring the wrong one. Here’s some things to look out for as you search for the right lawyer to handle your case. 

To begin with, does the lawyer have a history of receiving ethical complaints? If so, maybe it’s time to look for another lawyer. There’s an abundance of lawyers that do not have any disciplinary charges filed against them. Always, always check out www.massbbo.org to search for an attorney that you were interested in hiring. If he or she has a spotty disciplinary history, that may be a red flag. 

Secondly, is the attorney promising you a quick settlement? That too may be a red flag to look out for, there is no question that personal injury and workers’ compensation cases can take a considerable time to settle. Sometimes the process can take many months and sometimes even many years to settle a case. Any lawyer who tells you differently, is not being upfront and honest with you. 

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Dicen que los perros son el mejor amigo del hombre, y por la mayoría del tiempo si lo son; sin embargo, como todo en la vida, hay una excepción a la regla. Sin aviso o advertencia, un perro puede atacar y no es agradable ni placentero para el perro, el dueño o la víctima. En Massachusetts, la ley de mordeduras de perro se establece en MGL c 140, s 155. La mayoría de las veces, el dueño del perro es responsable de las lesiones sufridas en el ataque, con excepciones que incluyen la víctima invadiendo un terreno, cometiendo un delito o abusando del perro. Mientras que la mayoría de los estados exigen que el demandante demuestre la existencia de una agresión previa por parte del perro, Massachusetts no lo hace. Los legisladores del estado se empeñaron en crear directrices estrictas en referencia a las mordeduras de perro, dado lo graves y comunes que son en el estado. 

Según la Asociación Médica Veterinaria Americana, más de la mitad de los residentes de Massachusetts tienen una mascota, y 1 de cada 4 hogares tiene un perro. Además, según el Departamento de Salud Pública de Massachusetts, cada año se aproximan 6,300 lesiones por mordedura de perro. Las lesiones más comunes por mordedura de perro incluyen fracturas de huesos, cicatrices, infecciones (incluida la rabia), pérdida de tejidos y laceraciones. El departamento de salud informa de que las lesiones en la cabeza y la cara son más comunes en los niños, mientras que las de los adultos suelen consistir en brazos y piernas. Desde el momento que ocurre el accidente, la víctima tiene hasta tres años después para presentar una demanda.

Para prevenir una mordedura de perro, es importante que el dueño socialice al perro, reduciendo el riesgo de que muerda por miedo. En los casos en los que no se aplica la ley de mordeduras de perro, el propietario tiene dos defensas principales: allanamiento y provocación. Si la víctima de la mordedura estaba invadiendo una propiedad privada sin permiso, el propietario no puede enfrentarse a una demanda por lesiones relacionadas con el perro. Del mismo modo, si la víctima estaba provocando al perro (molestando y atormentando a propósito, o incluso abusando del perro), el propietario no es responsable.  

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They say dogs are a man’s best friend, and while it’s mostly true, like everything else in life there is an exception to the rule. Without notice or warning, a dog can attack and it’s neither enjoyable nor pleasant for the dog, owner, or victim. In Massachusetts, the dog bite law is set forth in MGL c 140, s 155. Majority of the time, the owner of the dog is liable for injuries suffered in the attack with exceptions including if the victim was trespassing, committing a crime, or abusing the dog. While most states require the plaintiff to show proof of previous aggression from the dog, Massachusetts does not. State lawmakers were so prevalent in creating strict guidelines in reference to dog bites given how serious and common they are in the state.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than half of all Massachusetts residents own a pet, and 1 in 4 households own a dog. Moreover, there are an average of 6,300 dog bite injuries reported annually, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The most common dog bite injuries include fractured bones, scars, infections (including rabies), tissue loss, and lacerations. The Department of Health reports that head and facial injuries are more common in children, while adult injuries usually consist of arm and leg injuries. Once it occurs, the victim has three years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit.

In order to prevent a dog injury bite, it is important that the owner socializes the dog, reducing the risk of the dog biting out of fear. In cases where the Dog Bite law does not apply, the owner has two main defenses: trespassing and provocation. If the victim of the bite was trespassing on private property without permission, the owner cannot face a dog related injury lawsuit. Similarly, if the victim was provoking the dog (purposely teasing and tormenting- or even abusing the dog), the owner is not liable. 

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