"One of our officers responding on a call was bitten by a dog in the same general area Forrest Gump got shot in; so I guess we could say he was bit in the Gump. Fortunately, he is OK and the damage was mostly to his pants, but it's a good reminder to please control your dogs when officers, or anyone else, is around." Chief Steve Gammill wrote.

While this incident ended in a somewhat humorous way with no injury sustained by the officer, for many people dog attacks have a much more serious impact on their lives. Because of this fact, Cincinnati personal injury attorney, Gregory S. Young, has some practical and legal advice for current and future dog and animal bite victims.

"After being bitten by a dog, you should make sure that the attack is well documented. Seek medical attention, your treating physician should file a report with the health department, and the dog that bit you will be checked for rabies and quarantined. You should also make a police report to document the bite so that the owner or harborer of the dog is cited under the dog bite statute," said Young.

While that information may seem like common sense to some people, what Mr. Young says next regarding statute of limitations and filing deadlines is not so well known and of vital importance to dog bite victims.

"The statute of limitations on most injury claims is 2 years after the date of the injury. Ohio has adopted a strict liability for dog bites by statute and there is authority that the statute of limitations would be 6 years against someone who is strictly liable. However, an owner, or harborer of the dog, may also be liable under common law negligence for the bite and there is still only a 2 year statute of limitations under the common law. Therefore, it is best to treat the statute of limitation as 2 years."

While the Genoa Township police officer escaped without injury, many other people are not so lucky. Following the above advice will help you and your lawyer take legal action if you decide to do so.

For more information on your legal options regarding dog and animal attacks contact Cincinnati personal injury attorney, Gregory S Young, at 866-643-8793 or visit his website at www.younginjurylaw.com.

Gregory S. Young Attorney's At Law was started in 1958 by current managing partner Gregory Young's grandfather and father. Since then, our lawyers have been dedicated to standing by victims of negligence, resolving thousands of personal injury claims, large and small, for people throughout Ohio and northern Kentucky. We will stand by you.