Dog bites cause surprisingly long-lasting injuries. A dog’s sharp teeth can slice into skin and damage nerves, along with other soft tissue like muscles and tendons. The jaws on many breeds are also strong enough to fracture bones. Even worse, many dog bite victims develop dangerous infections which can prove difficult to treat.
Call Premier Law Group. A dog bite is a serious injury, and you should seek compensation from the owner. State law empowers victims to sue owners for any bite, even if the dog has no history of aggression. This is an excellent law we use on behalf of our clients. Learn more about your rights after a dog bite by calling our firm and scheduling a consultation. We can assess the strength of your case, as well as how much financial compensation to seek.
Important Information for Any Dog Bite Case
We need basic information about the accident to help with a claim:
- Day and time
- Location
- Identity of the dog owner
- Photographs of the dog
- Any police report filed
This information provides basic information. If you have no idea who owns the dog, then we’ll need to investigate. We can’t sue a dog owner if we don’t know their identity.
We understand accidents are traumatic, and you might not have all of the above information. That’s okay. Still contact a dog bite injury lawyer at Premier Law Group to learn about your rights. If hired, we can visit the scene of the attack. Share any memories about the animal that bit you. Some people are bitten on private property, while others are bitten by a dog roaming in public. We can roll up our sleeves and find out information about the owner.
Other information is necessary to help us establish the value of your claim:
- Medical bills and receipts
- Insurance statements
- The names of all doctors and hospitals which treated you
- The name of a mental health counselor to help deal with the trauma of the attack
- Names of all physical therapists
- Paystubs to show how much you earn
- Self-employment records if you are self employed
This evidence can help us estimate the value of your claim. You can request compensation for all out-of-pocket expenses, including medical treatment, hospital stays, antibiotics, and other prescriptions. If you have extensive injuries, you might need rehab or psychical therapy.
We can also request money for pain and suffering. A dog bite often causes nerve damage, which is intense. Painkillers and opiates only help blunt the pain. Many dog bite victims are suffering. The emotional trauma is also considerable. Children and adults might struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder after a mauling.
How Dog Owners Defend These Cases
Some owners will immediately accept fault and agree to pay a settlement. That sometimes happens, although rare. More likely, the dog owner will try to mount a defense to reduce or avoid paying any compensation. Don’t be surprised if they try to blame you for the dog attack.
One defense is that you were trespassing on their property when you were attacked. We can discuss why you were on the property. Maybe you were invited to visit, or you are a friend or neighbor who stopped by to chat.
Another defense is that you provoked the dog. For example, children might throw rocks or sticks at a dog, and the animal strikes back by biting them. We’ll walk you through what happened in the critical moments leading up to the dog attack. In many cases, a dog attack is entirely unprovoked. You were minding your business when the animal attacked you. Maybe the dog attacked your own dog, and then moved on to you. In other cases, you might have accidentally stepped on the animal’s tail, which should not count as provocation because it is accidental.
We push back on the defendant’s claim that you don’t deserve compensation. Another thing you need to do is contact us quickly. Dog bite victims have a deadline for filing a lawsuit. Reach out to us as soon as you can. If you miss the statutory deadline, you’ll lose the ability to sue completely.
Reach Out to Premier Law Group
Dog attack victims have burdensome medical bills and often suffer from emotional trauma following an attack. Premier Law Group is prepared to pursue all possible compensation following a dog bite. We have obtained several settlements for clients, and we are always happy to help.
Call the best personal injury law firm in Washington. Our consultations are free and without risk to you.