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Month: February 2018

Dog bite injury lawyer

Dogs—are they man’s best friend, or a cause for alarm? Most dogs are loyal friends and beloved members of their families. Sometimes, we forget that our dogs are animals, genetically very close to foxes and wolves. As lovable as most dogs are, any dog is capable of biting, although most well trained and properly socialized dogs are less likely to. It is always the dog owner’s responsibility to provide obedience training, teach good manners, and accustom the dog to people of all ages, sizes, races, and genders. It is also important to supervise the pet and restrain it appropriately, especially around children, mail carriers, and trades people.

With a national dog population of around 65 million, it is all but inevitable that some bites will occur, usually when the owner has been lax in training, supervising, and restraining the dog. On the average, about five million people are bitten seriously enough by dogs in the U.S. to send them to the emergency room. Between 15 and 20 people, on the average, die from their injuries, half of them children. Pit bulls and Rottweilers are responsible for a majority of dog bite fatalities.

Dog bite claims make up over a third of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims, the Insurance Information Institute (III) reports. A single large homeowners’ insurance provider paid out in excess of $136 million dollars in one recent year for nearly 4,500 valid dog bite claims. Serious bites, especially on the face, often require plastic and reconstructive surgery, and are high dollar value claims.

Dog Owners’ Responsibility
When a dog bites someone, it is the dog’s owner who is held to account for the injury under Alabama law in most cases; but the recovery is limited to the victims monetary expenses unless you can show that the owner had reason to know the dog had the propensity to bite, i.e. that it had bitten or shown vicious tendencies previously, or if the dog was not on a leash, or if the owner was otherwise in violation of animal control laws. In some cases, a landlord can be held liable when a tenant’s dog bites someone.

Dogs and Children
Well-trained and well-socialized dogs generally aren’t inclined to bite unless provoked. Dogs should be taught to obey some basic ground rules. But even a well trained, well socialized, and usually gentle canine may fee provoked to defend itself against pulled hair, ears, and tail. Young children don’t understand that these behaviors are painful and annoying to dogs. It’s not the dog’s fault and it’s not the very young child’s fault. It is up to the owner and/or the parent to separate or closely supervise any young child/dog interactions; but if a bite occurs, it is the owner who will be held to account.

What to Do When You’ve Been Bitten
If you, your spouse, or your child was bitten by a dog, you should seek medical care immediately; then contact your local animal control agency and file a report. An animal control officer will be assigned to investigate and to check the dog’s vaccination record. If the dog’s rabies vaccination isn’t up to date, the dog will be quarantined for 10 days to make sure it hasn’t contracted rabies.

In Huntsville, Alabama, once you’ve been treated for your dog bite and filed your bite report, call the law offices of Wettermark & Keith, LLC, to arrange a no-cost case review. We will determine if your injury is serious enough to warrant a lawsuit to claim damages from the dog’s owner (or their insurance company), and we will review your legal options.

Make Dog Owners Pay for Your Care, with Wettermark & Keith, LLC, on Your Side
We have seen over and over again how frightening a dog attacks can be. The harm an animal attack causes usually goes way beyond physical damage; it can cause crippling phobias, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The psychological trauma of a dog bite may be as bad or worse than the bodily trauma. You deserve and may need compensation for all of your damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, physical and psychological damage, economic and non-economic, and loss of your quality of life. Alabama’s dog bite laws can be confusing. Our attorneys have the experience, dedication, and track record of successful recoveries to provide you with the quality legal representation your case requires.

Time is Limited
In Alabama the law places restrictions on the amount of time you have to file your case. If you miss a filing deadline, you lose your right to recover money, so pick up the phone and call us today!

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Construction accident lawyer

Construction Site Injuries and Fatalities
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as of March, 2014, there are 5,964,000 Americans working on construction jobs. This is very good news for the job market and the economy, but it also means that more people are working at one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.

Every year the industry reports approximately 150,000 accidents, causing and an average of 1000 deaths and an untold number of injuries.

Four Most Frequent Causes of Construction Injuries and Deaths
Four common types of accidents in the construction industry cause a majority of injuries and deaths. In the industry, they’re known as “the fatal four:”

  • Falls, the number one cause of construction accident injuries. Structural steel workers have the highest incidence of falls, and roofers are also at especially high risk. Instability of scaffolding, ladders, and roof structure, as well as excavations and unmarked drop-offs are among the causes.
  • Caught-in/between accidents, those where a worker is trapped or crushed between objects. Cave-ins, being pulled into heavy machinery, being crushed by a hydraulic bed or trapped between two moving objects or between one that is moving and one that is not are all examples of this type of construction accident.
  • Being struck by a moving vehicle, construction equipment, or object falling from a height
  • Electrocutions from faulty tools and equipment, exposed wires, power lines, extension cords, etc.

Injury Types that Commonly Occur in Construction Work
This is a partial list of some common types of construction accident injuries that we frequently handle at Wettermark & Keith, LLC:

  • Spinal cord injuries, often resulting in tetraplegia or paraplegia
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Serious burns
  • Internal organ damage to lung, kidney, spleen, liver, etc.
  • Facial injuries, including eye injuries, nose injuries, jaw fractures or dislocations, facial scarring, and dental
  • injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Death

If you or someone close to you has sustained injuries in an Alabama construction accident, you should waste no time in consulting the personal injury attorneys at the Huntsville, Alabama, law firm of Wettermark & Keith, LLC. We bring to the table more than 30 years of combined experience representing construction accident victims and have obtained millions of dollars in compensation for our injured clients.

Workers’ Compensation
As with other on-the-job injuries, illnesses, or deaths, you will usually look to Workers’ Compensation for benefits covering medical expenses, lost time from work, cost of rehabilitation services, or if the injury was fatal, a death benefit. You don’t have to show who was at fault to receive Workers’ Comp benefits, only that your injury occurred on the job.

Potential Third Party Claims for Larger Recoveries
Workers Compensation is limited; it does not compensate you for your suffering, disability, disfigurement, or loss of enjoyment of life. Although you won’t be able to sue your employer if you’re covered by Workers’ Compensation, your attorney may be able to identify some third party whose negligence contributed to your being injured and who can be held liable.

At the Huntsville law firm of Wettermark and Keith, LLC, we have a history of successfully handling construction site injuries and fatalities. We have experts available to help investigate accident causes to determine if a third-party can be found liable, possibly a sub-contractor, engineer, property owner, architect, or manufacturer of a defective tool or other piece of machinery. We feel that you should be compensated for all of your damages, and we have the knowledge and the resources to make that happen in many construction site injury cases.

Passion, Commitment, and Aggressive Pursuit of Justice at Wettermark & Keith, LLC
Our dedicated personal injury attorneys are deeply committed to fighting for justice for the injured and for survivors of fatal construction site accident victims. If your life has been torn apart because of someone else’s wrongdoing, call us today. We will perform a free case review of the facts and circumstances surrounding your accident and will advise you of your legal options.

The time to file a personal injury claim is limited by Alabama law, so don’t risk losing your right to a recovery; act now by calling Wettermark & Keith, LLC, to safeguard your right to recover monetary compensation for your construction accident damages.

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