Understanding Your Legal Options After a Dog Bite Injury. Dogs are lovely animals, but if untrained, they can be dangerous to others. It is one thing if a stray comes out of nowhere and bites you, but quite another if someone else’s pet bites you just because the owner was careless. Some dog breeds are naturally aggressive because they were bred for hunting.
Yet, if the owner tames and trains them adequately, they are perfectly safe. However, if the owner fails to do that or engages in activities that stress the dog out or is unmindful of their dog’s physical and emotional needs, such a dog can be a liability. There are some legal options that personal injury lawyers from a reputable law firm Scura can guide you with if you have sustained a dog bite injury due to negligence.
1.Filing a Complaint
The first step you should take is to file a complaint against the dog owner as soon as a dog has bitten you. Call the emergency services, and once your injuries are taken care of, file a complaint as soon as possible with the local police. If you plan to approach any lawyers and sue the dog owner later, the police complaint will be your first point of reference over which further investigations will be conducted.
2.Collect Medical Documents
While you are under the care of your doctor, getting stitches for your dog bite injury, make sure you have all the medical reports that point to the exact nature of the injury. If the dog bite has caused a rupture in a major artery or has led to partial or permanent disability, you will have a firm claim to get personal injury compensation. Apart from the physical injury, the trauma of being attacked by a ferocious animal can also lead to significant emotional distress, and that too should be documented and corroborated by the medical report.
3.Gather Evidence
Once you have somewhat recovered from the initial shock of the dog bite, start gathering evidence as soon as possible. Collect phone numbers from others who could later be potential witnesses and speak about the attack’s exact nature. If someone had clicked pictures of the incident, ask them to share them with you so that you can produce them in court as evidence. You should also collect information from the dog’s owner about the dog’s vaccination history.
4.Contact an Attorney
It is best to contact a personal injury attorney to deal with dog bite cases. They will guide you regarding the different state laws and tell you which pieces of evidence will best tell your side of the story. They will also guide you through the paperwork and make sure you get the best possible compensation for the dog owner’s negligence. The compensation amount will go towards treating your injuries and also to take care of your expenses if you are unable to work due to temporary or permanent disability caused by the dog bite.
Try to keep your legal options open, and do not just opt for settlement when the dog owner approaches you. It would help if you considered all the aspects before making a decision, and a personal injury lawyer will help you gain a clear perspective.