What to do When a Dog bites you?
Most people consider the dog as close friends because it is the kind of animal that can become extremely loyal to a person or family. A dog can provide a person or family with a lot of love and companionship.
Surprisingly, dogs can cause personal injury or property damage too. You could be injured by someone’s dog, or your dog can bite someone else. If you get bitten, then you may need to hire a Dog bite Lawyer in order to get compensated. You may not know, but there are a lot of legal issues related to a dog bite. It includes a legal claim, possible amount of disability, utilization of defense including the opportunity of legal and monetary values of a dog bite case.
Injured by a Dog
If you are injured by someone else’s dog or any other kind of pet, you have a few options to choose from. At first, if the dog bite has physically injured you, you can attempt an insurance claim from the insurance company of the owner of that dog. A lot of insurance companies cover dog bite claims. If you hire an experienced professional dog-bite lawyer, he can help you in dealing with the insurance company. Because of their experience in negotiating and knowledge of the law, they can provide you fair compensation for your losses.
Alternatively, you can choose to file a dog bite lawsuit against the owner or caretaker of that dog for your damages. A dog bite lawyer will be beneficial in your case since these lawyers are highly experienced about the state laws related to dog bites and personal injuries. They also know how to calculate damages and how to present your case in the court so that you can win.
Liability of the Dog Bite Case
Different states have different laws related to dog bite cases. Who is liable for your dog bite injury is entirely dependent on the state laws and the strength of your case. The owner of the dog should take the responsibility to keep others from getting bitten by the dog. These people could be any guest who visited the property, the workers who are working on the property, or people from public places such as roads, sidewalks, or parks, etc.
A dog owner needs to obey the local leash laws. It creates liability for the owner of some particularly dangerous animals or some specific breeds of dogs. In some of the states, other people could be held liable for the dog bite case instead of the dog owner. These people include the landlord or the property owner who has dogs in their property. In some situations, they could be held responsible for the dog bite injury too.
Defense of a Dog Bite Case
There are some common issues that the opposing lawyer of the dog bite case can use against you. Depending on the state you reside in, the potential defense that someone could use against you could be different. Such as:
● Trespassing
If you are trespassing and the property owner’s dog bites you, it could revoke your right to make a claim damages. Some of the states may give trespassers some legal protection, but it does not mean that your state will. If your state does not, then you have to prove that you were not trespassing, and you were bitten in a place where it is legal to be.
● Provocation
If you have provoked the dog willingly, it could be seen as your fault. For example, if you cornered the dog and threatened the dog with any aggressive gestures, and then the dog bites you. It will give the opposing lawyer a defense to prove that the dog owner is not responsible for your damage.
● Negligence
Some of the dog owners could say that they had warned you about the nature of their dog, but you did not listen to their word, and that is why you were bitten. Using this statement as a defense is the most common defense. This could eliminate or reduce your ability to recover damages from the case.
If you were injured, then you should contact a dog bite lawyer as soon as possible. An experienced dog bite lawyer has the experience to answer all the possible defenses of the opposing lawyers.
