The severity of your injuries will play a significant role in whether or not you have grounds to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the dog owner. Documenting medical treatment and expenses, obtaining contact information from eyewitnesses, and reporting the incident to authorities are all critical steps in building your case.
Seek Medical Attention
Dog bites can result in severe wounds and even diseases like rabies. To safeguard your health and accurately record the degree of your injuries, seeking medical assistance immediately following a dog bite event is critical.
Your doctor will clean the wound and administer an antibiotic ointment when necessary. They may also help a tetanus shot, especially if the bite wound is punctured and could be a source of infection.
If possible, obtain the name and contact information of the dog and owner and any witnesses to the incident. Also, keep records of all medical treatment and expenses incurred due to the dog attack. This documentation will help prove the impact of your injuries on your life. The more evidence you have, the better your chance of receiving fair compensation for your pain and suffering.
Report the Incident
Determining when to sue after a dog bite depends on the severity, liability, injury, and applicable local laws. In some circumstances, dog owners could face criminal charges if they harbored a dangerous animal and that dog attacked someone. The state needs to know what happened to levy appropriate punishments.
Also, a city or county animal control department might want to quarantine the animal to check whether it is rabid. Reporting the incident to authorities will ensure that this happens.
It’s also essential to get the names and contact information of witnesses who saw the bite incident. Their testimony can help establish what happened if you and the dog owner later disagree on how the incident unfolded.
Documentation can include photos of the immediate injuries and other physical evidence like torn clothing. It can also involve a journal or other written records detailing the effects of the bite incident on your life, like medical expenses and lost wages. This documentation helps move forward with a civil claim against the dog’s owner or insurer.
Document Your Incident
As much as it may be challenging to think about legal matters after suffering from a dog bite, doing so can help you get the compensation you deserve. Some of the critical evidence you will need to support your case include photos of the bite marks and your injuries, eyewitness statements, medical records, and a list of expenses related to your injury.
It is also essential to report the incident to your local authorities. A government agency may investigate the incident and conduct a history check on the dog involved in the attack. This can prove helpful in showing a history of aggressive behavior and establishing liability against the owner.
You should also keep track of any out-of-pocket costs you incur due to the injuries from the bite, including prescription medications, assistive devices, and travel and accommodation costs for medical treatment. It would help if you also documented how the injuries have impacted your daily life, such as pain and suffering.
Contact a Lawyer
A dog bite victim should not hesitate to contact a lawyer. An experienced attorney can help victims recover, such as filing for worker’s compensation or pursuing a civil claim against the dog owner for financial redress.
In some cases, the victim can pursue a criminal claim against the dog owner if the animal has been determined in civil court as dangerous and is not kept on a leash as required by city or state law. However, that is a separate legal proceeding from the polite dog bite lawsuit.
Victims may be entitled to reimbursement of medical bills, lost wages, and expenses incurred for property damage. In addition, they can receive compensation for their pain and suffering and other non-economic injuries. An attorney can help victims prove the extent of their losses to get them the maximum amount they deserve.