Dogs are known to be a man’s best friend, and it is no surprise why many people keep them as pets. Apart from it, there are several ways to make traveling with your dog easier. Unfortunately, even the trained ones sometimes attack the people around them, causing physical and emotional damages. Dog bite lawsuits are more common than you can imagine, because dogs tend to react negatively whenever they sense danger.
If you knowingly or unknowingly provoke a dog, it may attack you. Fortunately, you can sue for a dog bite injury. Though the physical and emotional damages will still be there, the compensation will help with the hospital bills and therapy.
Before filing for a dog bite lawsuit, you need to familiarize yourself with the legal process involved. Here is all you need to know about dog bite lawsuits.
When to Apply for a Dog Bite Claim
If someone else’s dog attacks you for no apparent reason, you can apply for a dog bite claim. This means that you did not intentionally provoke the dog nor did you give it a reason to see you as a threat.
In cases where you tease the dog, and it attacks, the owner can easily argue that you did provoke the dog. Another instance that can hinder the lawsuit is when you are trespassing or doing something against the law, like breaking and entering. The people who keep a dog must know the reasons to have the dog for living a healthy life. If you voluntarily risk a dog bite by provoking the dog, the owner can use your action as a good reason.
Before you decide to file for a dog bite claim, you need to have enough evidence that you did not provoke it knowingly in any way. You should also prove that the dog owner was negligent with their dog. For instance, if the dog owner was walking their dog without a leash, this is proof of negligence.
Dog Bite Damages
Some of the dog bite damages that you can claim include wounds from the dog bite, scrapes, cuts, and bruises from running or going through a fence, fractures, or broken bones from falling in the process. You can use the best dog-walking application for real-time tracking and monitoring. Eye or facial injuries also count when valuing the claim. In rare and unfortunate cases, the dogs can maul a victim to the point of death, leaving the family to sue for damages. Regardless of the kind of injury you get from a dog, as long as there is proof of negligence from the owner, you can sue and get compensation.
Why You Need a Dog Bite Lawyer
There are many reasons to hire a dog bite lawyer. The first one is that it is difficult to prove negligence or show that you did not provoke the dog in any way, especially if there are no prior cases of the dog attacking people without cause. A dog bite lawyer will know their way around the available facts and help you prove negligence.
Dog bites fall under personal injury cases. Therefore, there is a time limit to filing the claim as per the statute of limitations. Lawyers take on the role of ensuring that you file the lawsuit on time and handle all the paperwork for you, making it easier to go through the process. It is essential to know your claim’s value before you file for the lawsuit.
An experienced lawyer will look at all the damages, both physical and mental, to ensure that they value your claim correctly. Dog bite cases tend to be draining physically, mentally, and financially. Having a lawyer to help you through the process will enable you to handle it better.
Are You Ready to File for a Dog Bite Claim?
Once you familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of dog bite lawsuits, hire an experienced lawyer to take you through the process. As long as you can prove negligence from the owner, or you did not provoke the dog in any way, you are in a position to file a lawsuit and possibly get compensation.
Dog bite lawyers will value your claim, negotiate on your behalf, handle all the paperwork for you, and, most importantly, help you prove negligence. You’ll benefit from their knowledge and experience. A good dog bite lawyer will also save you time and money in the long run because they do all the hard lifting for you, making the suing process a bit easier.
