As much as dog lovers would try to convince you otherwise, the fact of the matter is that some dogs can be ridiculously dangerous, and even though not all dogs and not even all breeds are created equal, millions of people each year suffer dog bite injuries, with about 10 to 20 of them actually dying from dog attacks. Sadly, children are especially vulnerable to dog bites because they are smaller, but also because they are not as familiar with dog behavior and simply are not able to defend themselves effectively. Also, because they are shorter, they are more likely to be bitten in the face, which can make their injuries much more serious and likely to result in life-long scarring if they are lucky enough to survive. Dog attacks are nothing to laugh at; we have established that, but after they have happened, what can you do? How can you receive compensation for what you have endured? No problem; this guide is written to answer all those questions, so let’s jump right in.
Animal Attack Laws
If you or someone you know has been severely injured by an animal, like a dog, there will be a lot of bills piling up on the table, and you likely won’t even be able to work. Medical bills, missed work, therapy, physical and mental, the complications will just keep building. The least you can ask for during this time is financial compensation, to get rid of some of the stress that sits on your back. For that, you will need an experienced dog bite lawyer for a multitude of reasons. First and most obviously, an animal attack attorney will be deeply familiar with the laws regarding animal attacks; for example, the law views them differently from other personal injury case types like slip and fall accidents or car wrecks. In those cases, most of the time, an injured victim needs to prove that it was someone else’s negligence that led to the accident, but this does not apply to animal attacks. Your lawyer will know all this and know what factors in your case make the animal’s owner or whoever is liable, so go get an attorney.
Negotiate on Your Behalf
Once you have a lawyer, he or she will work tirelessly to recover the damages, such as lost wages and medical bills, to name a few. Dog attacks can lead to serious injuries that can sometimes even lead to permanent debilitation, and the sad truth is, no matter how badly you have been hurt, the insurance company that covers the dog’s owner won’t offer to fork over fair compensation just because it feels sorry for you. They are going to do the exact opposite and do everything in their power to deny you compensation entirely, or at least pay as little as possible. So, you will need the very best legal representation, someone who knows how much your claim should be worth.
This includes not only tangible, financial damages like hospital stays, doctor’s visits, present and future lost wages, future medical expenses, etc. but also non-financial, non-tangible damages like emotional trauma and pain and suffering because, well, you did get attacked by a very scary animal, goes without saying. Once your attorney is armed with this knowledge, he will start to work with the insurance company to get you the settlement you deserve. Insurance companies are notorious for trying to sweep things quickly under the rug by offering low-ball amounts that do not even come close to covering your damages, so your lawyer will work on convincing the company that it will be much less expensive for them to just make you a fair offer; otherwise, they risk losing much more money if they get taken to court.
Experience
Having hard evidence, as you already know, will be key to winning the case, and a lawyer knows how to get said evidence. Photos and/or videos are one example; photos of the bite marks, along with photos or videos of the dog that attacked you, will be vital to your case. Then you have other factors, like a hole in a fence through which the dog escaped, perhaps. If you get a photo of that, it might also go a long way towards proving the owner’s negligence. Your lawyer will also try to find any previous instances of aggression displayed by the dog toward other people. This can mean getting their hands on a video of the animal barking or even trying to attack people walking past, or other kinds of proof that shows the dog behaving unpredictably.
Attack Consequences
So what happens when someone gets bitten by a dog? If your injuries are serious, the priority is to get them looked at by a doctor, especially because dogs carry the risk of having rabies, which can then get into your system through the bite, and rabies is absolutely one of the scariest diseases you can get. So, get to a doctor and prevent anything like that from setting in. But apart from the physical trauma, there are the emotional and psychological consequences you might have to face. Some of the most common issues are a lasting fear of dogs because of nightmares, serious gain or loss of weight, problems sleeping, speech complications like stuttering, and even phobias and personality changes or PTSD. These problems can set in immediately after the attack, or it might be days, weeks, months, or even years, and you will need a therapist or a psychologist to help you battle these issues, which will mean you have bills to deal with again.
Dogs are man’s best friend, yes, but some of them can sadly be rabid monsters who attack, maim, and sometimes even tragically kill people. Aside from needing to treat the injuries, make up for lost wages, and deal with the mental scars that accompany such a traumatic event, you also have to somehow make up for your financial losses, and that is how a lawyer will help you.
