Wappingers Falls Dog Bite Injury Lawyers

Pet owners bear a high level of responsibility and a high duty of care when it comes to keeping their pets restrained and ensuring the safety of others around them. Unfortunately, some Wappingers Falls pet owners may violate that standard of care, allowing their dogs to get out of their control and, in many cases, cause severe injuries to others around them.

If you suffered injuries in a dog attack, you might find yourself with severe limitations, high medical bills, and several questions about your right to compensation.

At Finkelstein & Partners, we can help you get the answers to those questions and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact a Wappingers Falls dog bite injury lawyer now to learn more.

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Finkelstein & Partners: The Support You Need After a Wappingers Falls Dog Attack

A dog attack can cause substantial injury—in some cases, unexpectedly severe, especially if you suffer an infection or other devastating complications. At Finkelstein & Partners, we have more than 60 years of experience dealing with dog bite claims. We aim to provide our clients with ongoing, comprehensive support to help them manage the aftermath of those injuries and the financial devastation that may accompany them.

Our Client-Centric Approach

At Finkelstein & Partners, we understand that even a minor dog attack injury can cause devastation. Not only do you have the trauma of the injury itself, but you may find yourself dealing with immense emotional trauma because of the attack. We offer a client-centric approach that focuses on your unique needs as you handle your dog bite claim, including providing you with ongoing support and compassionate representation as you deal with those losses.

Our Dedication

After a Wappingers Falls dog attack, you deserve compensation for any injuries and losses you sustained because of the dog owner’s negligence. At Finkelstein & Partners, we offer dedicated support. While we may take risks on your behalf as we aim to file a claim, we carefully engineer those risks to maximize the compensation you can recover for your injuries as much as possible.

Our Access

Dealing with a dog attack can leave you feeling very vulnerable and frustrated about the losses and challenges you may have faced.

At Finkelstein & Partners, we aim to make ourselves as accessible as possible to our clients. Not only do we have an office conveniently located just off Route 9, where our clients can get to us easily, but we also offer quick response times and consistent, ongoing answers to your pressing questions about your claim.

Furthermore, we will offer virtual consultations for clients who cannot get to the office for any reason.

Are you ready to start moving forward with your Wappingers Falls dog bite injury claim? Contact Finkelstein & Partners now for the support you need to manage your claim.

Compensation for Dog Bite Injuries in Wappingers Falls

New York has a one-bite law that holds dog owners liable for considerable damages caused by a dog attack. However, New York law may not hold owners strictly liable until after the first bite.

At Finkelstein & Partners, we aim to help our clients maximize the compensation they can recover for dog bite injuries, whether you suffered the dog’s first attack or its third. Our lawyers help clients break down the losses they may have faced because of the dog attack to provide you with a better look at the total compensation you may deserve for those injuries.

Medical Costs

A dog attack may require immediate medical attention. Failure to seek medical attention could increase the risk of infection or other complications in the recovery process, which could ultimately mean more suffering and ongoing limitations. However, those medical costs can prove more expensive than anticipated.

At Finkelstein & Partners, we help Wappingers Falls dog bite break down the medical costs they have faced as a direct result of dog attack injuries so they can pursue the total compensation they may deserve.

Lost Income

In many cases, a dog attack can result in considerable time out of work. You may have a hard time working with serious injuries, especially if you end up in the hospital to recover. In some cases, a dog attack can also permanently prevent you from returning to work, either because of the accident’s physical ramifications or the emotional struggles, including PTSD, associated with the dog attack.

Talk to your lawyer about the income you may have lost because of the dog attack and how you can include those income losses as part of a comprehensive injury claim.

Pain and Suffering

In addition to compensation for the tangible financial losses that resulted from your dog attack, you may also have the right to pursue compensation for the less-tangible emotional challenges and suffering you may have faced because of the accident.

Not only can dog bites cause serious physical pain and injury, but many people also struggle with the emotional implications of a dog attack. Some have ongoing PTSD related to the attack and their injuries. Talk to your lawyer about the impact the dog attack has had on you and the struggles you have faced so you can include that suffering as part of your injury claim.

Wappingers Falls Dog Attacks: What You Need to Know

Dog attacks in Wappingers Falls can lead to severe injuries, including:

  • Puncture wounds
  • Broken bones
  • High risk of infection
  • Rabies

Any time you suffer injuries in a dog attack, make sure you pursue prompt medical attention to maximize your odds of making a full recovery after the accident.

Dog Owners in New York

Approximately 27 percent of New York households have dogs. Fewer New Yorkers have pets, including dogs, than people in other states. However, you may still encounter dogs throughout the Wappingers Falls area.

Dog Parks

Wappingers Falls has several dog parks, including Yorktown Community Dog Park and Friends of Beacon Dog Park, where dogs can run off-leash if their owners desire. Even in these spaces, however, owners must have control over their pets. Dog owners who do not have adequate control over their animals should not take them off-leash in areas with other people. If you suffer an injury in a Wappingers Falls dog park due to a dog attack, you may have the right to compensation.

New York’s One Bite Law

Under New York’s one bite law, New York pet owners may primarily bear liability if the plaintiff in a dog bite claim can show that the dog owner had reason to know that the dog had dangerous or violent tendencies. After one bite, the dog’s owner has reason to know that the dog could cause serious injury to another party and should restrain the dog accordingly. Before that point, however, pet owners may assume the safety of others around their dogs and may not bear liability for an incident caused by the pet.

Fighting the Insurance Company After a Dog Bite in Wappingers Falls

After a dog attack in Wappingers Falls, you will often need to deal with the dog owner’s insurance company to pursue compensation for the dog attack. Most often, homeowner’s insurance policies and renter’s insurance policies will provide compensation for injuries caused by a dog attack.

The insurance company, however, may not make it easy to get the compensation you deserve. Often, you may find yourself fighting for an acknowledgment of the full damages you sustained because of the dog attack. The insurance company may issue a low settlement offer and pressure you heavily to accept it or may deny liability for the incident. You may have a struggle ahead as you pursue the compensation you deserve.

At Finkelstein & Partners, we have extensive experience dealing with insurance companies. We can help you fight with the insurance company for the compensation you may deserve for those injuries, increasing the odds that you will recover reasonable compensation for a dog attack.

What to Do After a Dog Attack in Wappingers Falls

If you suffered injuries in a dog attack in Wappingers Falls, you hopefully sought medical attention immediately to help protect your health after the attack.

To protect your ability to recover compensation for dog attack injuries:

  • Get a copy of any police report or report from Animal Control about the attack, which can help establish where and when the accident took place.
  • Contact the dog’s owner for a copy of the dog’s vaccination records. You may need to begin treatment for rabies immediately after a dog attack if you cannot establish that the dog has had all the necessary vaccines and remains in good health.
  • Consult Finkelstein & Partners to discuss your right to compensation. We can help you deal with the insurance company and increase the odds that you will recover reasonable compensation for your injuries.
  • Keep a clear record of all medical bills associated with treatment for the dog attack. Include co-pays and deductibles you may have paid at the time of service.
  • Track your recovery and document your progress. You may want to take photos or keep a journal that lays out any suffering you may have faced throughout your recovery.
  • Follow any instructions your medical care provider may issue regarding your care. Your medical care provider wants to help you make a full recovery.

At Finkelstein & Partners, we help our clients navigate the challenging road to compensation after a dog attack. We can help establish your right to compensation and the steps you may need to take to protect those rights as you handle your claim.

Wappingers Falls Dog Bite Injury FAQ

The dog that bit me did not have a license. Does that impact my right to compensation?

According to Wappingers Falls regulations, dog owners must register any dog over four months old. A dog owner that fails to follow those regulations may receive fines and any penalties associated with the dog attack. However, you may not have the right to pursue additional compensation because of an unregistered dog.

If a dog does not have a registration, it may also not have necessary vaccines, including the rabies vaccine. You may want to carefully check the dog’s vaccination status and pursue any medical attention you may need for the attack, including rabies shots, if necessary.

I suffered a dog attack on private property. Do I still have the right to pursue compensation?

andrew finkelstein
Wappingers Falls Dog Bite Attorney, Andrew Finkelstein

You likely have the right to pursue compensation any time you suffer injuries due to a dog attack, including circumstances under which you had the legal right to enter private property. You may not have the right to compensation if you illegally entered the private property or if you provoked the dog that attacked you. Consult an attorney to learn more about your right to compensation and the steps you may need to take next.

Does Wappingers Falls have a leash law?

According to Wappingers Falls ordinances, dogs should remain on a leash when escorted outside their properties. Dog owners may need to carefully control their dogs to reduce the risk of any attack, and they may bear liability for an attack if they let their dog run at large.

Contact an Attorney After a Wappingers Falls Dog Bite Injury

After a dog attack in Wappingers Falls, contact a Wappingers dog bite injury lawyer to learn more about your right to compensation and the steps you may need to take to help protect those rights.

At Finkelstein & Partners, we offer our clients ongoing support and comprehensive legal representation that can help them fight for the compensation they deserve after a dog attack. Contact us today at (845) 298-2870 to learn more.

Finkelstein & Partners Wappingers Falls / Poughkeepsie Office

1778 South Road Route 9
Wappingers Falls / Poughkeepsie, NY 12590
845-298-2870