10
Things To Do If a Dog Bites You
If
you or a loved one are a victim of a dog bite or other animal
attack, you should speak to a lawyer immediately to learn more
about preserving your rights and remedies. A lawyer will be able
to explain the value of your case and help you navigate through
the complicated legal process. Most lawyers who handle these types
of personal injury matters work on a contingency basis.
If
you have been injured and believe that you may have a case against
an individual, corporation, or other entity, it is very important
that you do not delay in seeking legal representation. If substantial
time has passed since the incident, you should contact a local
attorney immediately.
To
preserve your claim against the owner of the dog, Use the following
guidelines:
- Identify
the animal that bit you. If the animal isn't caught and tested,
you may be subject to a very painful series of rabies vaccinations.
If you were attacked by a dog or any wild animal being kept
by a person, you probably are entitled to receive compensation
from the animal's owner to pay your medical bills, reimburse
you for lost income, and help you overcome the pain and suffering
from your injuries.
- Dog
Owners name. Get the name, address, and telephone number of
the person who owns the animal that attacked you.
- List
of Witnesses. Get the name and address of everyone who saw the
attack, or heard or saw events immediately before and after
it that are part of the "story" of the attack. If
possible, get information about the owner of the dog.
- Medical
Attention. Make sure that the victim gets medical attention.
Keep track of your medical bills and treatments.
- Get
Photographs. Photograph the wounds if possible. If it is not
possible, then insist that the physicians do so at the hospital,
prior to treating the victim. In any event, photograph them
after the victim returns from the hospital (leaving the bandages
intact!), the day after the attack, the next day, and then every
couple of days.
- Caution
on Signing Papers. Don't sign anything until you're had the
chance to discuss your matter with a lawyer. It is OK to sign
the hospital admission paperwork. DO NOT sign anything presented
to you by an insurance company, the owner of the dog, and the
landlord or other owner of the property where the attack took
place.
- Do
not permit the dog to be destroyed! It is the best evidence
in the case. There must be precise examination and evaluation
of the size and spacing of its teeth, the contents of its stomach,
the presence of blood on its fur, and its DNA. Mouth casting
is essential.
- Plastic
Surgeons and Severe Scaring. If you are wounded on the face,
insist on treatment by a plastic surgeon because emergency room
doctors are great at keeping people alive but necessarily the
best at making stitches and wounds look good!
- Contact
the Animal Control Board. If you are not familiar with the dog
or its owner, contact your local animal control board and report
the incident. Animal control officers may be able to locate
the dog and determine its rabies vaccination status.
- Do
not hesitate to consult an attorney! There are laws called "statutes
of limitations." They say that you lose all of your rights
unless you file a court case within a certain amount of time
after sustaining a bodily injury. Therefore, call a lawyer as
soon as possible.
A
dog bite victim may incur many different kinds of damages and
losses, from medical bills and emotional damage, to loss of the
opportunity to earn income in the future because of disfigurement.
A victim may be entitled to recover these losses from another
person and that person's insurance company, provided that the
victim presents the necessary proof, first to the insurance company
and then possibly in a court of law.
An
attorney with expertise in representing people with these injuries
brings value to your claim and has studied the effects of dog
bite injuries, how to gather the evidence necessary to completely
prove not only what happened in the past but also what the future
effects will be, the practices and procedures of insurance companies
when handling serious cases like these, and how to properly evaluate
these cases to make sure that the victims receive what they deserve.
An
attorney with expertise has the ability to objectively evaluate
both the strengths and the weaknesses of a claim. Furthermore,
an attorney is the only person who can turn a claim into a lawsuit
if you are not being treated fairly. Without the threat of a lawsuit,
you are at the mercy of the insurance company.
YOU
MAY BE ENTITLED TO MONETARY COMPENSATION.
There
is NO COST or obligation for this service.
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