Personal Injury Lawyer

Everyone loves dogs! Dogs are a man’s best friend, women included. However, this does not mean that dogs are not capable of vicious acts. Every year there are hundreds of instances where someone, woman, man, child, or elder, has been attacked or bitten by a dog. There are also a myriad of reasons as to why a dog might bite someone such as: strangers coming into the dog’s territory, children hugging a dog too tightly around the neck, accidentally touching a dog’s injury, and more. There are several injury types that can stem from dog bites; this is why it is important to understand what needs to be done immediately following an attack from a dog, especially a bite.

There are legal steps that may need to be taken if the dog is not your own, however, no matter whose dog, seek medical attention as soon as possible if bitten according to a personal injury lawyer from our friends at The Law Offices of Andrew Lynch. Certain steps include:

Seeking medical attention. Like any other puncture wound, if you suffer a dog bite you are prone to infection. Be as careful as possible to not leave the wound open, but do be sure to take photos immediately so that a record of the damage is properly kept.
If any one saw the incident occur, ask for their contact information so if you decide to take legal action you have as much proof as possible to prove your case and help you receive the compensation you are seeking. You can also ask for camera footage if you see someone recording the incident.
The owner of the dog, or whoever is responsible for the dog should provide you their information also. This helps when corroborating the dog’s vaccinations with your injuries and also keeping in touch regarding insurance.
If a random stray dog attacked you, contact animal control immediately. When you file a report with animal control, they are able to pick the dog up and this will help with avoiding an attack on another person. They can also test the animal to ensure it is not carrying any sort of diseases that may be harmful to you such as rabies.

When building a case for a potential personal injury lawsuit it is best to document everything as it pertains to the dog bite. This means keeping all medical records and bills, writing down a log of the day, explaining what happened right before you were bit and shortly thereafter. Take photographs of your injury from day one, and throughout its healing process. Keep a journal of how your injuries have affected your day-to-day life, and do such with as much detail as possible. The more documentation you have regarding your dog bite, the better for your case and possible compensation.

If you or someone you know has been attacked or bitten by a dog, be sure to speak with a personal injury attorney that will be able to gather the facts of your case and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf.