THE LAW OFFICES OF
BARRY G. DOYLE, P.C.
100 W MONROE ST.,
STE 2100
CHICAGO, IL 60603
PHONE: 312.263.1080
FAX: 312.263.0153
Illinois Injury Attorney
Serving Illinois In Chicago, Rockford, and Surrounding Areas
Being the victim of an animal attack is a terrifying experience for both children and adults. The injuries that result include not only the obvious cuts, scrapes, and tearing, but longer-term consequences such as scarring and emotional trauma.
Your potential compensation
The law in Illinois allows victims of animal attacks to recover damages for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of a normal life
- Disfigurement
Should plastic surgery be required in the future to repair the physical scarring, future medical expenses can be recovered as well.
Two avenues open to victims
In Illinois, the victim of an animal attack has two means of recovering compensation for the injuries resulting from the attack:
- Under the Illinois Animal Control Act
- Under ordinary negligence principles
The Illinois Animal Control Act
The Illinois Animal Control Act provides for recovery of damages for people injured in an animal attack. An animal attack is a legal term that includes dog bites, but can also cover attacks where you are not actually bitten. To recover damages under the Animal Control Act, you must show that:
- The defendant was the owner of the animal
- You were in a place where you had a right to be
- You did not provoke the animal
- You were acting peaceably
Once each of these things is established, the victim cannot otherwise be blamed for the attack.
Negligence
In a negligence case involving an animal attack, you must prove that the owner had notice of the vicious disposition of the dog.
This is sometimes referred as the "one bite rule" meaning that you must show that the dog bit someone before the incident at issue. However, there are other ways to show that the owner knew the dog was dangerous. For example this can be done by showing that the breed of dog was selected for that very reason or that the dog had behaved aggressively towards other people or animals in the past
Our firm has been very successful in pursuing animal attack claims. Put our experience to work for you. Contact Illinois injury attorney Barry Doyle for your free legal consultation. No recovery, no fee.
