Dogs truly are “man’s best friend,” as indicated by the fact that there were a reported 90 million dogs owned by US households in 2017 — a statistic that has certainly increased since then. According to the most recent data provided by the CDC, which is unfortunately from 1994, there was an average of 4.7 million dog bites each year. It is likely that as dog ownership has increased dramatically over the past 25 years, these attacks have also increased. Whether there is one attack or ten million attacks, however, you are not thinking about the statistics if you are on the receiving end of a dangerous encounter with a canine.
If you are attacked by a dog in a situation that you did not provoke, you deserve to be compensated fairly for a range of damages, both economic and non-economic (each of which is discussed in greater detail below). The most important step to getting the money you deserve is partnering with an attorney who will fight on your behalf as you focus on your recovery. Whether you are working with an insurance company or directly with the owner, it is likely that the other party is working towards settling for as little as possible, as quickly as possible, without significant focus on ensuring that you get the money you deserve. Your personal injury attorney will be able to counter this focus with the priority of getting you the money you deserve.
Contact 1-800-Injured To Connect With a Dog Bite Attorney in West Palm Beach Today
1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical referral service. After a dog attack, thinking about going through the process of finding law firms in your area, requesting a consultation, and hoping they get back to you can be overwhelming, which is why many people skip this step and settle their case for far less than they deserve. When you use the referral service provided by 1-800-Injured, you can stay focused on your recovery while we work on connecting you with an aggressive and experienced personal injury attorney.
Once you are connected with an attorney, they will be able to interface directly with the responsible party (or, more likely, their insurers or legal representation) and provide you with updates on your case without you needing to take on the ongoing stress of handling it yourself.
Read more about dog bite claims and lawsuits below, and contact us as soon as possible to connect with an attorney who is ready to fight for the money you deserve.
Children are much more likely to be attacked by a dog than an adult, which can be extremely dangerous or even fatal when an attack is carried out by a large breed. No matter how old the victim is, they deserve to be fairly compensated for this traumatic and painful encounter.
What To Do After a Dog Attack in West Palm Beach, Florida
The following steps are meant to give you a general idea of what to do after a dog bite, but if you take nothing else away from this information, just remember this: your safety and health are your absolute top priorities.
Call 911
It can be common for the responsible party after any sort of accident to try and convince the victim not to call 911 and to handle the situation directly. Whether after a car accident, dog bite, or anything else, call 911 immediately to be sure that you get medical attention AND to be sure that there is an authority there who can record the incidents into an accident report. All documentation gathered once the West Palm Beach police, firefighters, and EMTs will be central in establishing the facts of your case.
Get Medical Attention
Most importantly, calling 911 means that you will get emergency care for your injuries, and medical professionals will determine the appropriate next steps for you, whether that means taking an ambulance to the emergency room or simply getting treated at the scene. However, if you are only treated at the scene, you MUST contact your primary care physician immediately for follow-up care. Again, the primary benefit of this follow-up is your health, but it is also important that you gather as much official documentation as possible to prove the extent and legitimacy of your injuries for your claim.
Document the Incident
Thanks to modern technology, you can take a 4k video of the scene and provide a step-by-step narration about what happened. Memory is extremely fallible, and even events that seem vividly seared into your mind will fade or start to change as the days go by. Attorneys understand that the testimony their clients provide them with can not possibly be 100% accurate, but when you are shooting a video immediately after and doing a quick memory dump of what happened, you can be confident that you have done the best you can to make sure all of the facts are presented properly.
Contact an Attorney
Once you have gotten your medical care addressed and are able to start looking towards recovery, connecting with an attorney is extremely important. Since 1-800-Injured can take care of this entire process for you, you can find a lawyer while getting treated, with little to no hassle on your end. Once connected with a lawyer, you will be able to speak with them during a free consultation to establish a baseline of facts and understand more about how you will work together.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dog Bites
Should I get a lawyer for a dog bite?
There is no legal requirement for a victim hiring an attorney after a dog bite, but the likelihood of you getting a settlement you deserve improves greatly when represented by an experienced personal injury attorney. We encourage you to speak with a lawyer for a free consultation in order to get an idea of how they have helped others in similar situations to your own.
Does a dog have to be put down if it bites someone?
This depends on whether or not the dog is deemed “dangerous” due to the attack or if they have indicated dangerous behavior before this attack. The “dangerous dog” designation is determined on a case-by-case basis, so your situation may or may not result in euthanasia.
How much money can you get from a dog bite lawsuit?
There is no set amount that someone will receive after a dog bite, and your case will depend entirely on the economic and non-economic impacts of your attack. Economic damages are things like your medical bills, lost wages, and other measurable financial impacts, while non-economic damages seek monetary compensation for things that do not have dollar values, such as the pain and suffering of your injuries and the emotional trauma you have suffered.
Contact 1-800-Injured Today — Don’t Settle For Less Than You Deserve
Many people mistakenly believe that they only need an attorney if they plan to go to court, but the reality is that most personal injury attorneys are highly skilled in settlement negotiations and will focus on settling without dealing with the crowded Florida court system.
Settlement negotiations can be contentious and require an in-depth understanding of Florida personal injury law in order to defend your settlement calculations. All this, while trying to prioritize your recovery, can — for good reason — feel nearly impossible, but when there is a lawyer fighting for what you deserve, you can look towards the future without the added stress of your legal issues.