Dog bites and dog attacks can result in very serious injuries, complications, and even life-threatening infections or diseases. If you have been attacked or bitten by a dog, the first thing that you should do is to contact the dog owner and report the incident. You should also obtain the necessary insurance information. Most homeowner insurance policies will provide coverage in the event of injuries following a dog bite.
Moreover, if you have been injured in a dog attack, it is important that you contact a knowledgeable California dog bite attorney in your area. Your lawyer can take the necessary legal action against the dog owner and/or the dog owner’s homeowner insurance company. Your attorney will also work to pursue the monetary compensation and damages that you need for the injuries which you suffered in the attack.
Dealing with an Insurance Company
Once a dog bite incident is reported, a representative of the dog owner’s homeowner insurance company might contact you. It is important to keep in mind that initial offers from insurance companies are routinely low. This is because the insurance company wants to do everything that it possibly can to avoid paying out damages in a dog bite or other personal injury case. This is because insurance companies do not make money by paying out claims. Rather, they want to do everything possible to keep their money in-house.
An experienced dog bite attorney can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and work to pursue monetary compensation for all of your related injuries.
Filing a Lawsuit Against a Dog Owner
Sometimes, despite repeated negotiations, insurance companies are not willing to offer fair and full compensation for injuries sustained in a dog bite incident. When that happens, you have the option of filing a lawsuit against the dog owner, seeking monetary compensation for your injuries.
In the State of California, dog owners are strictly liable for the actions of their dogs. This is true regardless of whether the dog owner did something or failed to do something under the circumstances. In a strict liability case, the dog bite victim typically only needs to demonstrate that he or she suffered an injury and that the injury resulted from the dog bite incident.
Injuries following a dog bite can be extremely serious and often require significant medical treatment. As part of a dog bite case, the victim could pursue various forms of monetary compensation and damages, including compensation for all medical treatment bills, surgical bills, and physical therapy bills. If the bite victim had to miss time from work in order to treat for injuries, he or she could pursue a lost wage claim. Finally, if the bite victim suffered a permanent injury or disability, then he or she could make a permanency claim, seeking pain and suffering along with other types of damages.
A California dog bite attorney could assist you with filing a lawsuit in the state court system arising from your incident. Your lawyer could also assist you throughout the entire litigation phase of the case, including discovery and a jury trial if the case goes that far. During litigation, your lawyer will pursue the compensation which you need for your injuries, ensuring that you are fully and justly compensated for everything that you went through.
