What should I do if my son was severely attacked by a dog?

My son was attacked by a dog with excessive force. The dog attacked him in the backyard while surrendering cops were not in vicinity. Witnesses in the home were trying to hit dog off my son and shook my son like a rag doll exposing and cutting through muscle and bone. He got 38 stitches in leg and 20 in buttocks area. I'm really looking for a pro bono attorney or if we have a strong case to get paid if we win.

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Answered By: The Law Office of Josh Lamborn, P.C.

Most personal injury attorneys take cases like this on a contingency fee basis. That means that they will front the expenses for the litigation until the case is resolved, then deduct them from any award received on the case. However, if you do not receive any money on the case (like if you lose at trial and get nothing) most contingency fee contracts allow the attorney to seek reimbursement from you for all of the litigation expenses. You did not include enough facts in your case for me to really give you an opinion as to whether or not I think you have a good case. I am assuming this was a police dog that was searching for a suspect. The main question I have is, was your son an innocent bystander or was he in fact the person the police were looking for? If he was an innocent bystander, he probably has a pretty good case against the police bureau. If he was the suspect and was running from the police, the case is not as good. Even if police use excessive force against a suspect juries are not inclined to award money to someone they see as a criminal. Whatever the case, you and your son should consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer without hesitation. Suing public bodies such as the police bureau/city often requires that you file a notice with the public body within six months of the incident. If you fail to do so you may lose your right to recover anything.

Answer Applies to: Oregon
Replied: 9/15/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Answered By: Rose, Senders & Bovarnick, LLC

You should hire a lawyer. Most lawyers take cases like this on a contingency fee basis. This means that the lawyer's fee is contingent on getting a settlement or judgment. For cases like this the fee is typically 1/3 of a settlement and 40% of a judgment after trial or settlement in trial.

Answer Applies to: Oregon
Replied: 9/14/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.