A Rochester Hills dog bite lawyer can help if you or someone you care about was the victim of a dog attack. Our award-winning dog bite attorneys win top settlements from insurance companies in these cases. The lawyer you choose for your case is the difference between winning a great settlement and getting a small payout.
The City of Rochester Hills is in Oakland County, Michigan. Initially settled in 1817, the city is home to 76,300 residents today, making it Michigan’s 14th most populous city. The limits of Rochester Hills enclose a branch of the Clinton River, and the city sits 12 miles north of downtown Detroit.
Founded in 1969, our team of lawyers at The Buckfire Law Firm has earned the legal profession’s highest accolades over the last 60 years, including:
The lawyer you choose for your Rochester Hills Dog Bite case is the difference between a great settlement and no settlement. Make the smart choice and contact our award-winning lawyers today to get started on your case.
The City of Rochester Hills Code of Ordinances contains regulations on the confinement and restraint of dangerous dogs, including:
(a) While on the property of its owner, a dog that has been determined to be a dangerous dog shall be confined indoors or in a securely enclosed and locked structure or pen of sufficient height and design to prevent its escape or direct contact with or entry by minors, adults, or other animals. The structure or pen shall have secure sides and a secure top attached to the sides and shall be designed to provide the dog with shelter from the elements of nature. If the structure or pen does not also have a secure bottom or floor securely attached to the sides, then the sides must be embedded into the ground no less than one foot. A hidden, in-ground electronic, fenceless or invisible fence pet containment system without a physical structure or pen as described in this subsection does not constitute a proper enclosure.
(b) While off its owner’s property, a dog that has been determined to be a dangerous dog shall be kept on a leash no longer than four feet and muzzled in such a manner as not to cause injury to the dog or interfere with the dog’s vision or respiration, but so as to prevent it from biting a person or another animal.
These laws can be used to hold a dog owner accountable for a dog bite attack.
There is no ban on pit bulls, or any other dog breed in Rochester Hills. The ordinance on dangerous and vicious dogs is behavior-based only so you can own a well-behaved pit bull.
In general, you can sue for a dog attack in Rochester Hills if you were attacked or bitten within the township limits. Under Michigan law, there is strict liability against the owner or keeper of the attacking dog who bites or injures an innocent person.
Strict liability means that negligence automatically attaches just from the fact that the dog bit someone. So, if a person is bitten by a dog on the street, at a park, and on private property can sue and demand money compensation for injuries.
There are a few legal defenses in dog bite lawsuits in Michigan. First, a person who is a trespasser, or unlawfully on another person’s property, may not be able to sue for a dog bite. Social guests and business invitees can pursue claims.
Second, there is a provocation defense to a dog bite. This means that someone that provokes the dog into biting them is barred from a claim. This defense is usually a disputed issue in these cases because many defendants argue that attempting to friendly hug or play with a dog is provocation. Our Rochester Hills dog bite lawyers have successfully challenged this defense and won big settlements for our clients.
Our dog bite attorneys see a wide range of injuries caused in canine attacks. The most common injuries suffered in a Rochester Hills dog bite attack include:
Victims of a dog bite or dog attack can be left with permanent scars and disfigurement. Often, dog bite victims will require emergency medical care for sutures, plastic surgery, and rabies shots. Many times, a plastic surgeon will not even attempt to repair the scar for several years after the attack, leaving the victim with a disfiguring and conspicuous scar for everyone to see.
If you were bitten by a dog in Rochester Hills, the first thing to do is get medical attention from your doctor, an urgent care clinic, or at a local emergency room. You may need stitches, a tetanus shot, or even a referral to a plastic surgeon.
You should also take photographs of the injuries immediately after the attack. This serves as strong evidence in your case to support your claims for damages.
Finally, report the attack to both the police and animal control departments.
It is best to report a dog attack to the police and to the local animal control division in the city where it occurred. This documents the injury occurred for the purposes of your claim and alerts local authorities that of a potentially vicious dog.
In the City of Rochester Hills, you can call the below departments to file your complaint.
Oakland County Animal Control
1200 North Telegraph Road
Building 42E
Pontiac, MI 48341
(248) 858-1090
City of Rochester Hills Police Division
750 Barclay Circle
Rochester Hills, Michigan 48307
(248) 537-3530
Our Rochester Hills dog bite lawyers will get the reports to support your claim.
If you choose us for your dog bite case, we will send a letter to the dog owner requesting the incident be referred to their insurance company. Most times, this is either homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance. If the attack occurred at a business, we would send a letter to the liability insurance company for the business.
Most often, we will receive a letter from an insurance adjuster asking for more information about the case. This is the start of the claims process and the beginning of the settlement negotiation process for your case.
Next, we will order your medical records and get the police department and animal control reports. We may also track down eyewitnesses to the attack so we can take witness statements. We will also request you frequently take photos of your wounds so we can follow the healing process.
There is no formula or “dog bite calculator” to determine your settlement amount. Under Michigan law, you are entitled to the following damages from a dog attack:
Our attorneys will work up your case to ensure you receive the maximum possible settlement to compensate you for the harm you suffered from the dog attack.
$400,000 for a woman who suffered nerve damage from a dog attack.
$300,000 for a teenage girl bitten in the face by a pit bull.
$250,000 for a toddler bitten on the face by a family member’s dog.
$100,000 for a postal worker bitten on the legs and buttocks.
Many canine attacks come from dogs owned by family members, friends, and neighbors. Victims are often reluctant to file claims against these people for fear it will affect or destroy a close relationship. It is important to know that your claim will be made against the insurance company and will not demand payment from the dog owner. As a result, relationships are rarely affected by these claims.
In addition, the insurance premiums rarely go up even after the insurance company pays the dog bite settlement. And there is no requirement that the dog be put down or given away by the family so this should not be a concern to you.
We do not charge any money to start your Rochester Hills dog bite case. We pay all the costs and only earn a fee if we win you a settlement. Our fee is a percentage of the settlement amount, so we work hard to maximize your settlement.
Call an award-winning Rochester Hills dog bite lawyer now to start your claim. Our attorneys are ready and eager to help you win a great settlement. There are time deadlines for filing cases, so call us today to make sure you do not miss the unforgiving deadline.
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