Not all dogs are as sweet and cuddly as they look. If you’ve been hurt by a dog, call an ABQ dog bite lawyer for help recovering compensation.
Perhaps you were strolling through Old Town Albuquerque, or maybe you were simply taking an evening walk in your own neighborhood. You encountered a dog, and it bit you. Now you’re hurt and looking for a way to get your life back to normal.
This is an all-too-common occurrence in the Albuquerque area. We all love our dogs, but we must make sure our furry friends don’t injure others. When you were bit by a dog, the owner can and should be held responsible for their negligence.
The good news is that New Mexico does allow dog attack victims to file personal injury lawsuits to recover compensation for their damages. The experienced and top-rated Albuquerque dog bite attorneys at Will Ferguson & Associates are here to help you with your case. To get started, get in touch with a lawyer at our firm.
If you came to this website to find the New Mexico dog bite law, you may be disappointed to find out that there isn’t such a law. Our state is one of the very few states that do not spell out dog bite liability in their statutes.
However, New Mexico courts have laid out some ground rules through their rulings in previous dog bite cases. Put simply, New Mexico looks at dog bite liability through the dual lens of the “one-bite” rule and negligence laws.
Many states operate under the so-called one-bite rule when it comes to dog bite lawsuits. For your ABQ dog bite case, you’ll need to understand this concept because it will help determine whether you can recover compensation for your injuries and damages.
Under this rule, the dog owner must have known that the dog had exhibited aggressive behavior toward a person before. Aggressive behavior toward another animal is not enough to satisfy this requirement. Despite the name of the rule, the prior behavior does not have to include another bite—the owner just has to have knowledge of the aggressive behavior of the canine.
The other side of the equation is negligence. Basically, you need to demonstrate that the dog’s owner (or whoever had control of the animal at the time of the bite) did not use “reasonable care” to prevent the dog from biting you. This lack of care would qualify as negligence.
One of the most common defenses used in dog bite cases is the claim that the victim provoked the dog to attack or bite.
While it’s true that provoking the dog will almost inevitably weaken your case, New Mexico courts tend to hold that the victim must have known that provoking the dog in question would lead it to exhibit aggressive behavior. Basically, even if you provoked the dog, the dog’s owner can’t dodge liability unless you knew that your actions would cause the dog to be aggressive.
If the dog’s owner tries to claim that you brought your injuries on yourself, your Albuquerque dog bite attorney will help you gather evidence that will show the truth—that you were viciously attacked and you deserve compensation for your injuries.
All the information above is good to know, but how will you apply it to your own case? How will you build your argument, gather evidence, calculate the value of your damages, and argue your case around the negotiation table or in court?
If you’re seriously injured and stressed because you can’t work or you’re struggling with mobility, building your own case is going to be much tougher than it already sounds. That’s why so many canine injury victims in your position team up with an experienced dog bite lawyer in Albuquerque.
If you team up with our firm, our qualified dog bite injury attorneys will handle all the hard stuff. We’ll gather the evidence you need, handle all the paperwork, fight for you in negotiations or the courtroom, and maximize the value of your claim. Depending on the details of your case, we may be able to recover compensation for the following damages:
Under New Mexico law, you only have three years to file your dog bite injury claim. That’s not as much time as you might think. There are a lot of moving parts to your case, but we’re prepared to handle every single one of them quickly and effectively.
To find out more about how we’ll help you, contact an Albuquerque New Mexico dog bite injury lawyer at Will Ferguson & Associates by calling or filling out the online contact form.
1720 Louisiana Blvd NE #100
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Will Ferguson & Associates
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