It is estimated that there are more than four million dog bites in the United States every year. And more than 800,000 of those dog bites require medical attention. That means one out of every 73 people is bit by a dog.
Dog bites aren’t just common. They can also lead to serious medical and even legal problems.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the common scenarios and injuries related to dog bites as well as what to consider when hiring dog bite attorneys.
So keep on reading and we will walk you through everything that you’re going to want to know!
Why Is A Dog Bite So Serious?
You should never brush a dog bite off as a minor injury. It is very important that you seek medical help if you happen to be the victim of a dog bite.
Let’s go over several reasons why dog bites can turn into serious medical problems:
- muscle and tendon damage: depending on how bad the bite was, you might have internal damage to the muscles and tendons and may need to get surgery
- blood loss: a deep enough bite could cause a lot of blood loss which might require surgery or stitches
- infections: Pasteurella and MRSA are very common infections that are caused by dog bites
- rabies: if you don’t know the dog that bit you, then it could very well have rabies, which is a very dangerous disease
All of the injuries that we just listed require medical help. In some instances, a person might even need long-term care, which can lead to expensive financial burdens.
This only highlights one of the many reasons why it’s important that you hire a qualified dog bite lawyer if you get bit by a dog.
Pet Owners Are Responsible
Dogs might bite for all kinds of reasons. Stress, protection, or even just playing around are a couple of reasons that a dog might bite someone.
Small kids tend to be common victims of dog bites because they unwittingly put themselves into positions that upset dogs. The dog might then lash out and bite the child. However, it is the pet owner, at the end of the day, who is responsible for controlling the animal.
Dog owners tend to claim that their dog would never bite anyone. Unfortunately, that statement is true until it isn’t anymore.
Dogs are not predictable when they end up in stressful situations. Because of this, a pet owner needs to control their animal as best they can.
Seeking Compensation For Your Injuries
If you get bit by a dog, then you should definitely seek compensation for the injury. Your settlement amount will come down to the specific details of the incident involving the dog bite.
For example, if you were on a person’s property voluntarily when the dog bite happened, this can be a tough case to win. However, you should be aware that most of the time, the dog’s owner is liable for any injuries that were caused by the dog if the owner knows of the dog’s dangerous tendencies.
If you get a dog bite that wasn’t under the control of its owner in a public area, then you have a much easier case ahead of you. However, you need to remember the circumstances surrounding the incident are going to be vital to the outcome of the case.
Now, let’s go over what you should consider when you are looking for the best dog bite attorney for your case.
Area of Specialization
You want to make sure that the lawyer has plenty of experience in this area. If you hire a personal injury attorney who mainly specializes in car accidents or slip-and-falls, then you might not have as good a shot as a lawyer who specializes in dog bites.
You want to make sure that you get a lawyer who is well-versed in the laws surrounding dog bites. Make sure that the lawyer has handled similar cases before and that they have won those cases.
Cost of Services
No one wants to go to a law firm that costs a lot of money only to realizes that they could have paid less for someone else and also had better chances of winning the case. Before you hire an attorney, you want to know how much money they charge. You also want to find out if it is a flat rate or an hourly fee.
Check the budget and make sure that the lawyer is within your projected plan.
Location
How far is the law firm from your house? A company that’s closer is going to be more convenient for you and easier to access. You’ll have an easier time meeting with your lawyer and can save on travel costs too.
You also want to keep researching for additional resources if you want to know more about dog bite attorneys.
The Importance of Knowing About What to Consider When Hiring Dog Bite Attorneys
Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now have a better idea of what you should consider when you are looking for dog bite attorneys. As we can, there is a lot that you need to do after a dog bite so that you can make sure that your health, finances, and legal rights are protected.
Are you looking for other helpful articles like this one? If so, then make sure to check out the rest of our blog today for more!
