A Traverse City 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.
Traverse City is in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, where it serves as county seat. First settled in 1847, the city is home to a population of 15,678 today. Traverse City sits on the shores of both the East and West arms of the Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. The city is known as the “Cherry Capital of the World.”
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 Traverse City 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 Traverse City Code of Ordinances prohibits the ownership of animals that pose a danger to any person, including the provision:
“Annoying animals. No person shall harbor or keep any animal or bird which causes annoyance or disturbance in a neighborhood, by making sounds common to its species or otherwise, or which endangers the safety of any person or property.”
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 Traverse City. 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 Traverse City 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 Traverse City 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 Traverse City 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 Traverse City, 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 Traverse City, you can call the below departments to file your complaint.
Traverse City Police Department
851 Woodmere Avenue
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 922-4550
Grand Traverse County Animal Control Dispatch
(231) 922-4550
Our Traverse City 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 Traverse City 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 Traverse City 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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