San Francisco Injury Lawyer for animal attacks

San Francisco injury attorney Many Americans are affected by animal attacks every year. Injuries can run in the range of a simple nip by a dog that does not break the skin to more severe dog bites and injuries such as mauling by a wild animal or even death. With so many attacks occurring each year, consulting with a San Francisco injury attorney may be necessary to evaluate the claims an injured person may have.

Of the numerous injuries occurring from animal attacks a large majority of those injuries occur in children. Children tend not to be as cautious or as gentle with animals as adults. They may pull an animal's ear, take a bone away or simply be playing near the animal when attacked. Statistics show that approximately 4.7 million people are attacked and bitten by dogs in the United States each year. The medical costs incurred from an animal attack can place an enormous financial burden on a family, not to mention the increased burdens of lost wages or income, costs of rehabilitation, and the result pain and suffering. Typically, the owner of the animal bears the burden of liability of their animal's actions. The extent of that liability can vary from state to state. A competent San Francisco injury attorney can help to determine the extent to which an animal owner is at fault.

Other types of animal attacks occur between people and non-domesticated or wild animals. These types of attacks typically occur when people encroach on a wild animal's nature habitat, either through recreational activities or as a result of increased commercial and residential development. A wild animal will attack when it feels threatened by a person's presence. A person may not realize that by getting closer to an animal out of curiosity, a stressful situation can arise for the animal and they may attack, particularly when the animal has no options of escape from the situation. As such, people have a responsibility to respect an animal's space and habitat and to realize that they are not warm and cuddly animals used to human interaction.

Unlike domestic animal attacks, it can be more difficult to determine who is liable for the damages and injuries sustained from a wild animal attack. If an animal is proven to be an imminent danger to humans, beyond the animal's natural behaviors and instincts, a national park or a zoo or whomever has a responsibility to manage and monitor the animals may be liable for not taking measures to protect the public from such an animal.

In dealing with cases of animal attacks, a competent ">San Francisco injury attorney will be able to determine the merits of a case by evaluating who is liable for the injury as well as to what extent.

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