If a dog has ever bitten you or your loved one, you know how painful it can be. Dogs are good pets but can turn dangerous to others.
What should be your first step after a dog attacks you or bite you? You will run for help, following a first aid treatment or necessary checkups. After this, you call a dog bite lawyer. Why? Because they can help you get an insurance claim for the ordeal you have been through.
What is a dog bite lawyer?
A dog bite lawyer is someone who will help you hold the responsible party accountable for your pain. These lawyers are skilled legal representatives who will help you pursue an insurance claim. They are specialized in dog bites, and their career is to deal with personal injury.
How will they help you?
If someone’s pet bit you, the most basic action is to ask for an insurance claim. Try to stay calm and simply let them do their job.
The dog bite lawyer will talk to the insurance company for you and will make sure that you get fair compensation.
The second thing you can do is file a lawsuit against the owner. This might sound a bit extreme, but this is an option too.
How do they prove it?
It’s not easy to prove an attack and a dog bite. Your lawyer will first research all the laws of your locality regarding pets.
If the pet has a history of attacks and bites, the jurisdictions will hold its owner liable. As a dog, owners are responsible for ensuring that their dog doesn’t bite anyone if they are anywhere other than their home.
Issues you might face
When you hire a dog bite lawyer, it’s obvious that the pet owner will do the same. They will hire someone to defend themselves.
They might use the following reasons to defend themselves:-
- Dog provocation: It means that your action triggered the dog to attack you. If you try to play with a dog and deliberately provoke him, then it’s his basic reflex to bite you. In this case, you cannot claim any insurance or compensation.
- Trespassing: If a dog bites someone who enters a property uninvited, then he won’t be able to press any charges. This can be said to as an act of trespassing hence no compensation.
- Assumed risk: It is one of the weirdest laws in dog bite cases. In this case, the dog owner hangs a sign of warning stating beware of the dog if you pass or roam around an area with a similar sign, you can’t hold the owner accountable as he already warned you.
The Bottom Line
An experienced lawyer will know all these facts and how to defend them. Getting bitten by a dog is not a good experience. Hence make sure you press charges and get compensation for your pain. Although dogs are known to be man’s best friend, their bite can become a nightmare. Hence, it is always advisable to have the contact of a dog bite lawyer handy.
