DOG ATTACKS & INTENTIONAL ACTS

 

MICHAEL DAOUDI WANTS YOU TO KNOW:
Many people believe that "every dog is allowed one bite.”  Under Michigan law, this is simply not true.  A dog’s “good behavior” before an attack does not shield the dog owner from responsibility.

A comprehensive national study of dog attack injuries revealed that dogs bite approximately 4.7 million Americans every year. Of these, about 800,000 dog bite victims require medical attention.

Each year, 1.8% of the U.S. population is bitten by a dog.  One out of every six of the dog bite victims has to seek medical care because of an attack.  Tragically, almost half of all dog bite victims are children.

A dog bite can be a traumatic event that results in serious injury.  Vicious dog attacks cause numerous deaths every year.  Often a dog bite will result in permanent scarring, nerve damage, and a significant risk of infection. Many times, there is psychological harm that lasts well beyond the physical injury.

One of the frequently asserted defenses is provocation. Even in Michigan, it is common for an insurance company to assert that a child in some manner "provoked" the dog and is actually responsible for a resulting Michigan dog bite injury.  However, this assertion is almost always incorrect.