What To Do After A Dog Bite Injury

As much as we like to believe that all dogs are good, they are still susceptible to bad owners, inadequate training, and innate protective instincts. Dog attacks can be incredibly terrifying; and could leave you with severe injuries and a mounting medical bill.

When you, unfortunately, suffer a dog bite, it’s vital that you take the necessary steps to get yourself medical help. After all, your first concern should be your safety.

The next (and the second most important) thing you should consider is to make sure that you preserve as much evidence of the incident as possible. Doing so will make it easier for you to sue the owner and collect economic and non-economic damages you have sustained in a dog bite injury.

Step 1: Get Medical Help

After carefully distancing yourself from the dog, seek immediate medical treatment. Dog bites can leave serious injuries that might lead to infections, so have yourself checked as soon as possible.

Getting medical attention also doubles as a way to solidify the evidence of your injuries. Sometimes, victims who sustained injuries make the mistake of not getting checked by a doctor immediately after the accident.

Allowing your injuries to heal (no matter how little) before seeing a medical professional can be used by the defendant and their insurance providers as a way to minimize the physical damages you sustained.

 

Step 2: Gather Physical Evidence

Preserve clothing or any other physical proof of your injury. For example, if your pants were torn during the attack, it’s a good idea to seal them in a plastic bag for future evidence.

You should also collect medical bills, receipts, rehab appointment slips, and other documents showing the expenses you have incurred due to the injury. If there are security cameras around, request CCTV footage of the incident. If you already hired an attorney, you can ask them to collect these pieces of evidence for you.

Again, the at-fault party (the dog’s owner) and their insurance provider will want to minimize the costs of your sustained damages. So make sure you have enough proof to forward a personal injury claim.

 

Step 3: Find Witnesses

Find the witnesses and ask for their contact information. Depending on your legal case and the available evidence you have, you might need some witnesses to support your claim.

This is especially important when you don’t have CCTV footage or other physical evidence of the incident happening.

 

Step 4: Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer

Remember, insurance companies will want to give you the lowest insurance payout they can manage. Sometimes, the payout isn’t enough to cover the economic and non-economic damages you suffered after the dog bite.

When you get cheated out on an insurance claim, it’s time to find a Personal Injury Lawyer. Having legal counsel by your side makes it possible to challenge the insurance offer and pressure the firm to give you the payout you deserve. If they still refuse to negotiate the terms of the payout, you can simply file a claim against the insurance firm itself.

 

Step 5: Compile Evidence Of Damages

If you already hired a lawyer to handle your case, they might do their own investigation on the matter. However, if you have the ability to provide them with your own evidence, it would help you speed up the process.

For example, if you missed work or became permanently unable to work because of the accident, you should gather documents that prove it. Show employment records where you had to stay home to recover, find medical results proving your permanent disability, and gather paychecks and payslips that show your income loss.

Remember, to be able to appeal an insurance claim, you should show that the damages you sustained aren’t tantamount to the payout you’re being offered. So, with the help of your legal team, gather as much evidence as you can.