Dog Bites Requiring Physical Therapy

Most people think of dogs as friendly creatures, but most dogs have the potential to unexpectedly attack a person. Dog bites can cause significant injuries that often require extensive medical care, which in many cases includes physical therapy. This kind of treatment can be costly, but people who sustain dog bites requiring physical therapy may be able to recover their costs from the owner of the dog in a civil lawsuit. If you were the victim of an animal attack, the Cape Cod dog bite lawyers of the Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III, can set forth persuasive arguments to assist you in seeking any damages you may be entitled to recover, to allow you to focus on regaining your health. We have over fifteen decades of experience, and our skillful representation has allowed us to obtain multiple multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for the parties we represent.

Massachusetts has a law commonly known as a “dog bite law,” which establishes liability for dog bites and the damages victims may recover. The dog bite law is a strict liability law, which means that injured plaintiffs do not have to prove negligence on behalf of a dog owner or any other party in order to recover damages. Instead, the dog bite law provides that the owner or keeper of a dog is liable for any damage caused by the dog. If the owner or keeper is a minor, then his or her parents will be held liable for the damage. However, there are some exceptions to the imposition of strict liability under the dog bite law. Specifically, if the victim was engaging in tortious behavior, such as trespassing, the dog owner or keeper may not be held strictly liable. An owner or keeper may also not be strictly liable for a dog bite that occurs while the victim is abusing, tormenting, or teasing the dog. If the victim is a child under the age of seven at the time of the bite, however, it is presumed that he or she was not engaging in behavior that would fall under one of the exceptions, and the burden shifts to the defendant to overcome the presumption. A knowledgeable dog bite attorney can review the facts of your case to assess the applicability of these legal standards to your claim.

The dog bite statute merely provides that a dog bite owner or keeper will be liable for any damage, without defining specifically what that means. The dog bite statute has been interpreted, however, to mean that the victim can recover the cost of medical treatment he or she needed due to the bite and will need in the future. For example, if a dog bite victim has to undergo physical therapy to regain strength or range of motion in a limb, the cost of the physical therapy may be awarded to the victim. Typically, however, the victim will need to retain an expert to opine that physical therapy was needed due to the nature and extent of the victim’s injuries, and if the victim will need therapy in the future, testify that the therapy is medically necessary. The victim may also be able to recover compensation for the pain and suffering caused by the bite. While the cost of physical therapy will not directly support a claim for pain and suffering, the duration and intensity of physical therapy can be used to demonstrate the extensiveness of the victim’s harm.

Animal attacks often result in significant harm, and recovering from some dog bites requires extensive physical therapy. If you were hurt by a dog, you should speak to legal counsel to discuss what compensation you may be able to recover. At the Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III, our Cape Cod attorneys are skilled at helping injured parties recover damages in civil lawsuits, and we will work diligently to help you strive for a favorable outcome. We have obtained numerous million-dollar verdicts and settlements, and we proudly uphold a record of successful results. We regularly assist people in Cape Cod, and we can meet for consultations in Plymouth and Hyannis. We can be reached at (888) 262-6664 or through our form online to set up a meeting. Nós Falamos Português.