Are you a dog lover who has been attacked by a dog? Despite blindly loving your dog, a dog bit can be a daunting ordeal to deal with calmly. There are dogs that turn out to be mean and can create danger anywhere and anytime. More than 5 million dog bites occur in a year. This data shows that dogs biting people isn’t a rare thing.
Nevertheless, you needn’t fret as you can get justice from a personal injury lawyer that specializes in dog bites. There are instances when you’ll need skilled legal help in holding the parties responsible for the damage caused.
Know your options
What should be your immediate step when someone else’s pet has bitten you? You should instantly pursue your insurance claim. Stay calm and try to gather all sorts of insurance details. Skilled legal professionals that specialize in dog bites shape their careers fighting cases related to dog bites. Hence, they are more experienced in dealing with insurance companies and ensuring that you receive a fair deal.
One more option you’re left with is filing a lawsuit against the owner of the pet. Well, there’s none who wishes to inflict damage against another dog owner but as long as a dog bite victim is concerned, he deserves justice. You have to check the state laws to know whether or not you can hold pet owners responsible for falls or minor scratches caused due to dogs.
How a dog bite lawyer proves a case
When it comes to dog bites, there are different levels of difficulty involved in proving liability. Your personal injury lawyer will be aware of all sorts of local laws related to pet bites in your locality.
In some states, the law demands a dog owner liable if the dog has had a history of biting others before or has had an aggressive track record. Generally, dog owners are responsible to ensure that the public is not hurt due to their animals, especially when they are taken out in public places.
By hiring a trusted personal injury attorney, you can allow him to educate you on all the laws that are broken at the expense of the responsible party.
Defenses you can face
The owner of the dog that bit someone will also hire an attorney to defend himself against the charges. Here are a few defenses used:
- Trespassing
- Provocation of dog
- Assuming some risk
Whenever a dog bite victim enters someone’s private property or enters a place uninvited, they can’t sue a dog owner for any personal injury.
Provocation of the dog means that you provoked or forced the animal to hurt you. You can never threaten a dog and expect it not to hurt you back.
Whenever owners post warnings signs of the presence of a dangerous dog, you assume some risk. If you enter a dog park, you expose yourself to being bit.
It is never a good experience to be bit by a dog. Hence, get the help of a lawyer and seek justice.
