Dog
bites can be a very serious injury. It can cause
scarring, damage, and most of all emotional trauma to victims. Dog owners can
be sued if they violated animal control laws and their pet caused serious
damage to individuals. Even dog handlers can be held liable if they proved to
be negligent.
According
to statistics, there at least 4.7 million dog bite incidents in the United
States each year. Out of this number, 17% received medical attention, and only
0.005% proceeded in filing a dog bite claim.
Most cases involve children because they are very susceptible to dog attacks.
Dog
owners are legally held responsible for the actions of their pets. In most dog
bite case settlements, the dog owner will pay for the medical expenses and lost
wages that was associated with the dog attack.
What to do if your dog bit an individual and caused serious injury?
A
dog owner must be responsible with his/her pet. Dog owners must strictly follow
all animal control laws like anti-trespassing laws, anti-running at large laws,
and leash laws. If your dog happens to bite someone and caused serious injury
and damage, you must then act quickly to avoid case escalation.
The
very first step is to take the individual to nearest hospital. Make sure you
contact his/her family. Always be nice and sincere to the victim’s family and
show concern.
If
the victim or the family sent for a lawyer, answer the lawyer’s inquires
clearly. If your received a subpoena, turn it over to your lawyer or to your
insurance company, they will provide you with a lawyer to defend you.
If
you are liable to the damaged caused by your dog then you must instruct your
attorney to get the case settled out quickly to prevent escalation to a civil lawsuit and to cut down the cost of litigation.
A dog bites you and cause damage, how do you get compensation?
An
individual can file for a dog bite claim if he/she was bit by a dog and caused
damage and injury. This is true if only the individual is not in the wrong
place (like sneaking or trespassing to someone’s backyard or property). If you
decide to file for a lawsuit against a dog owner, then you must consult with a
personal injury lawyer.
Many
lawyers offer clients with free initial case
consultation and evaluation. They will advice you on what do next and discuss
your payment options. If you agree to proceed with the services and terms of an
attorney, he/she will then gather evidences regarding your case. The lawyers
may speak with dog owner to hear his/her side of the story. Your lawyers may
also speak with the dog owner’s attorney.
Your
lawyer can argue your case in court for you to have proper compensation. If the
dog owner was proven to be negligent, you can demand settlement and
receive proper compensation.
If the dog owner refuses for a settlement,
then you can proceed with a civil lawsuit. But, this will consume a lot of time and
resources.
