Animal & Dog Bite
Injuries

Bergel Magence LLP is built on the foundation of family. For over 50 years and two generations, we have fought the toughest fights for our injured clients, winning them top awards. To us, our clients are family. Contact us for a free, no obligation case evaluation.

Award Winning Animal & Dog Bite Injuries Lawyers

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Dogs have been a joyful part of people’s lives for centuries. In Ontario, many households have dogs as part of their family as they provide companionship and protection. However, vicious dogs are a public nuisance as they can attack and bite people, even without provocation, leading to serious physical injuries and psychological trauma.

In Ontario, dog attacks and bite cases were on the rise before the province adopted a ban on Pit Bulls in 2005. This ban ensured that pit bulls, including Pit Bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, and dogs with similar characteristics and appearances to Pit Bull breeds, are not bred or imported into the province. For those who already own pit bulls, the dogs are to be muzzled and on a leash at all times when in public.

However, even with the ban on Pit Bulls and other strict laws on dog ownership and control, dog attacks and bites continue to occur at an alarming rate, with children most often being the victims. The good thing is, Ontario has strict liability laws that hold dog owners liable for any attacks or bites inflicted on persons by their dogs. This law, however, does not apply when the attack happens on the owner’s property while you were trespassing or committing a crime.

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Andrew Bergel

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Why Choose Bergel Magence ?

If you or your loved one has incurred an injury from a dog attack, contact our personal injury lawyers in Toronto. Bergel Magence offers a free, no-obligation consultation.

When Do I Need a Lawyer After an Animal or Dog Bite?

In Ontario, when you undergo medical treatment after an injury, most initial expenses, including emergency surgical procedures and hospital stays, are covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). However, OHIP doesn’t cover certain significant expenses and losses, including long-term medical expenses, medicines, reconstructive surgery, loss of income, caregiver costs, and more. Such expenses can leave you in a financial crisis, which is why it’s important to seek compensation from the liable party or your insurance policy.

In Ontario, if a dog attacks or bites you, the Dog Owner’s Liability Act (DOLA) places absolute liability on its owner. This is because, in most cases, it’s the owner’s failure to properly train and control their dog that leads to vicious attacks or bites. In other instances, the owner encourages their dog’s aggressive behaviour. Therefore, if you fall victim to a dog attack, you may be entitled to compensation from its owner for the injuries incurred. It’s crucial to retain a dog bite personal injury lawyer in Toronto to ensure your claim is filed correctly and on time and that you secure the damages you deserve.

Apart from compensation from the liable party, a dog attack or bite victim may seek damages from their own insurance policy. This also requires the expertise of an experienced personal injury lawyer to ensure that the process goes well and that you obtain a fair settlement.

At Bergel Magence, we have been helping victims of dog attacks and bites get the damages they deserve in order to offset any medical expenses, and cover lost income and other costs resulting from the injuries incurred. We also help our clients seek and obtain the medical treatment and rehabilitation they require via our extensive network of medical professionals.

Call us today at 1-866-492-3743  for a free consultation.

Possible Dog Bite Injuries

Dog bites can lead to severe life-altering injuries and, in worst scenarios, death. As stated earlier, most dog bites are against children. This is because children are attracted to animals such as dogs and may not recognize a vicious dog and the danger it poses. Since they’re also small in stature and incapable of defending themselves, dogs can cause devastating injuries to them.

The most common dog bite injuries are:

  • Cuts and lacerations to the face, lower extremities, and upper extremities.
  • Severe bites to the hands, legs, forearm, head, and neck. Such bites are dangerous as they can puncture major arteries, damage nerves, or even amputate digits.
  • Bruises and abrasions.

Injuries from dog bites, even those that seem minor, can lead to serious long-term health complications, including:

  • Disfigurement
  • Sepsis (a life-threatening condition triggered by the body’s response to an infection)
  • Meningitis (an infection that causes inflammation of the brain’s and spinal cord’s membranes)
  • Endocarditis (an infection that causes inflammation of the heart’s inner lining)
  • Fractured bones
  • Psychological trauma
  • Muscle damage
  • Severe scarring

As we have already established, dog bite injuries can lead to severe infections and long-term health issues. This is why it’s advisable to seek immediate medical attention for necessary immunizations and treatment. Remember to keep detailed medical records, including photos of the injuries incurred and the progress of your treatment, as they’re vital when building a claim.

Types of Dog Bite Cases

At Bergel Magence, we have handled a wide range of personal injury cases resulting from dog attacks. Some of the dog attack cases involve:

  • Dog bites and lacerations to different parts of the body
  • Injuries incurred when running from a dog
  • Dog attacks in private homes
  • Dog attacks on public property

What Should I Do After an Animal or Dog Bite?

After incurring an injury from a dog attack or bite, the steps you take are vital not only for your claim but also for personal health. Here’s what you should do:
  • The first step you should take after suffering a dog bite injury is to get the necessary medical care.
According to Toronto Animal Services, you should seek treatment even for minor lacerations. Remember to document all your injuries and treatments.
  • Contact the local authorities to report the dog attack.
  • Documentation of the dog attack, i.e., finding witnesses, identifying the dog owner, and taking photos.
  • Filing a claim with your insurance as soon as possible
  • Keeping a detailed record of how the dog attack has affected your life.

What Happens if I get Injured or Suffer Trauma After Being Chased by a Dog?

Did you know that you don’t have to be bitten by a dog in order to have a potentially valid claim compensation? If, for example, you are chased by a dog and suffer physical and psychological trauma as a result of the chase, you may be entitled to compensation. To learn more about circumstances in which you can file a claim for injuries caused by a dog or other animal, please click here for a video in which one of Bergel Magence’s dog bite lawyers discusses the legal implications of dog attacks for both victims and pet owners.

Bitten or Attacked by A Dog? We can Help

Although the Dog Owners’ Liability Act establishes that the dog owner is liable for any attacks or bites by the dog on another person, it can be pretty difficult for victims to recover the compensation they deserve without expert legal counsel. As experienced dog bite personal injury lawyers in Toronto, we can help you hold the dog owner accountable for the injuries, losses, and damages suffered due to their dog’s vicious attack.

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We obtain maximum compensation for you and your family.

Bergel Magence LLP has been helping accident victims obtain substantial awards for nearly five decades. Below you will find just a handful of examples of awards that we have recently negotiated or won for our clients.

Selective-focus-of-recruiters-looking-at-employee-showing-clipboard-during-job-interview. Jpg
$8.0 Million

for a passenger in a car who was rendered quadriplegic as a result of a motor vehicle accident

$3.6 Million

for a teenage boy who sustained a brain injury in a motor vehicle accident

$1.8 Million

for a teenage boy with developmental delay who suffered a brain injury in a motor vehicle accident

$1.8 Million

for an unemployed visitor to Canada who suffered a brain injury in a motor vehicle accident

$1.3 Million

for our client who suffered fractures to his ankle, knee, neck and pneumothorax in a motor vehicle accident

$1.1 Million

for our client who suffered multiple fractures in a motor vehicle accident

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What Our Clients Say
 

Frequently Asked Questions

No, you don’t have to. However, without qualified and experienced legal representation, you may be putting yourself at a disadvantage. If you or a loved one become injured as a result of someone’s negligence and approach an insurance company without legal representation, you may miss out on many benefits and compensation that you’re entitled to. Insurance companies use teams of lawyers who work to save the company money by offering you minimal payouts. Insurance companies are businesses, and their objective, despite what they may say, is to make money. If they can avoid paying their policy holders, regardless of the circumstances, they will. To avoid being pressured by insurance companies into inferior settlements, it’s advisable to engage the services of experienced and reputable personal injury lawyers in Ontario, like Bergel Magence LLP. They’ll work on your case and fight to get you maximum compensation.

The primary goal of Bergel Magence personal injury lawyers is to get you the compensation you deserve by filing your claim with all the evidence and documentation required to support it. The compensation we work to acquire will help you cover your medical bills, rehabilitation, the financial losses incurred due to injuries, time away from work, and generally to support you and your family in whatever way is needed. Apart from working on the legal aspects of your claim, we can connect you with the best medical specialists in Canada to assist in your treatment and recovery. We have connections to top medical practitioners whom we trust to take care of our clients and family.
This is one of the most difficult questions that we face as personal injury lawyers. Why? Because each case is different, and the time taken to settle depends on the variables involved. The insurance company, injuries suffered, lawyers, plaintiffs, and other factors play a role in the time taken to settle your case. One mistake most clients make is accepting offers from insurance companies to settle their claims too quickly, only to later realize that the compensation cannot cover their medical bills and other future expenses resulting from the injury incurred. Our goal is to obtain compensation for you in the quickest, most efficient way possible.

Here’s how Bergel Magence LLP charges: Our consultation is free of charge with no obligation. Get in touch with us and speak to one of our lawyers for free. When we take your injury case, you don’t pay until we settle it. This gives us an incentive to devote our time and resources on your case until we recover the award that you deserve. Don’t worry about our charges during the proceedings; focus on your treatment and well-being.

No matter your first language, Bergel Magence LLP can assist you with your case. We enlist the services of top translators in Canada to offer you high-quality services in your first language.

Every injury and accident is unique, and we urge you to contact Bergel Magence as soon as possible. This gives us time to prepare your claim and file it before the limitation period elapses. If you miss your limitation date, you may be prohibited from filing a claim. Some accident cases have a limitation of 10 days, while others have up to 2 yearsContact us Injury Lawyers Toronto to learn how much time you have to file your claim.

The majority of personal injury cases don’t go to trial. This does not mean that it’s a smooth ride to get the reimbursement you deserve outside the courtroom. It involves time, resources, and a thorough assessment of your case to attain the required award. When cases go to trial, there’s a lot at stake, and as our previous success proves, we fight hard against insurance companies to come out on top. We are committed to tackling any complexities that arise in your claim, even when it ends up in a Court of Law.

Each case is unique, and every injury is different. It’s difficult to estimate your settlement amount until all the facts of your case are thoroughly reviewed, including your injury’s long-term effects. What we do know, is that we will work hard to ensure that you are fairly and properly compensated. Contact us today, and we’ll start working on your claim immediately.

Our Office

1018 Finch Avenue West (at Dufferin) 5th Floor,
Toronto, Ontario M3J 3L5, CANADA