Should I report that I’ve been bitten or attacked?
Any attack requiring medical treatment should be reported to the local animal control center or police department as soon as possible and a note should be kept of the circumstances of the attack together with the date and details of the person to whom it was reported. You should also contact an experienced lawyer for legal advice about your dog bite case at the first possible opportunity to ensure that evidence is preserved.
Should I take photographs?
Take 35mm (not digital) photographs of any injuries and of the accident location. Photographs of the injury should be taken at intervals as the healing process progresses to document the history of the recovery.
Does it matter where the injury occurred?
The location of the attack is important as the law varies from state to state and even from town to town within a state. In a dog bite case the owner may be held responsible if the bite occurs on public property or on private property.
How long will the claim take?
The main restraining factor in regards to the time that a claim takes to settle relates to the time taken for recovery from the physical injury to take place. Lawyers do not like settling early as they would have to take a risk that full compensation is not obtained if the client does not recover in accordance with the period predicted in the medical reports. Once the medical situation is clear the time for settlement depends on whether or not legal liability is admitted. Less than 2% of cases go to trial and the majority of cases settle within months of resolution of the medical evidence. Generally a dog bite case takes about a year to resolve but they are often be settled earlier.
What is the leash law?
Leash law is usually a separate law enacted in local communities requiring owners to restrain and control their animals not necessarily by use of a lead. Failure to adhere to these rules can make the owner effectively strictly liable for any injury.
What is the average amount of the settlement?
The insurance industry maintains that the average settlement exceeds $12,000.
Which breed is most likely to bite?
Over 30 breeds are known to have caused fatalities however statistically the most dangerous are pit bull terriers, rottweilers, german shepherds, huskies, alaskan malamutes, doberman pinschers, chows, great danes, st. bernards and akitas.
If you are the innocent victim of an attack then you may be able to recover compensation using a contingency fee arrangement which means that if your lawyer doesn't succeed in getting a settlement for you then he won't get paid his legal fees.
For free advice without obligation from a specialist personal injury attorney just complete the contact form and a member of The American Association Of Trial Lawyers will telephone to discuss your compensation claim.
