Rebuild Your Future After An Injury

Attorney Benjamin M. Salyers

Pit bulls may deserve their reputation

| Jan 25, 2017 | Injury/Wrongful Death

Many people protest the labeling of pit bulls as vicious. They say branding the breed as dangerous is unfair, and that the dogs are actually sweet natured if raised right. Nevertheless, the sight of the injuries inflicted on your child by a pit bull attack may overshadow any concern you have for how the dog was raised.

The pit bull that attacked your child may have belonged to one of three related breeds: the American pit bull terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier or the American Staffordshire terrier. These dogs were bred for, among other purposes, pit fighting.

You may have heard of the controversial study that linked pit bull owners to high-risk, criminal activity. People who love pit bulls may point to this study to prove that the dogs are only vicious when vicious people raise them. However, some studies suggest that pit bulls may attract aggressive people with criminal tendencies precisely because the dogs are also aggressive and high risk.

Ticking time bomb

Maybe you have seen the dog that attacked your child in the neighborhood before. It is possible you even contacted authorities about it in the past because of its unpredictable behavior or its owner’s refusal to keep it contained.

Even if you never witnessed negative behavior, some investigations suggest that the breed itself was the predictor of the attack. Numerous studies have produced results that support the opinion that the pit bull breed is dangerous.

  • One major children’s hospital reported that pit bulls were responsible for nearly 51 percent of dog attacks.
  • The same hospital said that pit bull-Rottweiler mixes accounted for another 6 percent of dog attacks.
  • A study from the Annuls of Surgery showed that people died more frequently from pit bull attacks than from attacks by any other breed.
  • Research presented in one medical journal stated that, in Kentucky, pit bulls, Rottweilers and German shepherds cause most of the fatal dog attacks in the state.

While the studies may not convince some pit bull lovers, many insurance companies are convinced, and they charge substantially higher premiums when a homeowner owns a pit bull or a landlord rents to people who do. The U.S. Army also forbids this dangerous breed of dog in some of their housing units because they concur that there is too great a risk to allow it.

Your child’s recovery

Recovering from a dog attack may be a long, painful process. Your child may need a prolonged hospital stay, numerous surgeries and physical therapy. The violence of the event may also have been so traumatic for your child that he or she will require some psychological care as well.

Recovering compensation for your child’s medical expenses, as well as the pain and suffering your family has endured, may seem the only fair outcome. Fortunately, there are personal injury attorneys who provide personalized attention for cases like yours.

A compassionate lawyer will consult your child’s doctor to fully understand the impact the attack has had on your child’s life. With an attorney on your side, you will have a better chance of obtaining recompense so you can provide the high quality medical care your child deserves.

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