One aspect of personal injury law which you may not be aware of is that which takes care of claims against dog owners after a dog bite. According to the CDC, each year there are 4.7 million people who are bitten by dogs, and some 800,000 of them require medical care. If this happens to you then it is important that you seek out the support of a Connecticut dog bite lawyer in order to take on your case. The compensation which you seek from the dog owner will cover any medical bills or lost earnings, and it is important that you pursue this. Let’s take a look then at when you should initiate a lawsuit following a dog bite.
Seeking Advice
The first step after you have treated your injuries is to consult with an expert lawyer on dog bite law. Usually you will find that an evaluation is free, and they will be able to advice you on how to proceed. In almost all cases the owner of the dog is liable for your injuries, but it is always best to check with a lawyer as they will be familiar with what the law is in your state.
Proving Liability
It is not always easy to prove liability in these cases, and there are some exceptions whereby the owner of the dog will not be liable. For example if you have provoked the dog then this could be deemed as being your own responsibility. Additionally if you know that a dog has a violent tendency and you didn’t avoid it, this could also be your own responsibility. Again you will be able to get a good understanding of who was at fault, after sitting down with an expert lawyer.
Pursuing a Lawsuit
The reasons why you would pursue a lawsuit here is to recoup the costs involved with lost earnings and medical bills. Additionally however this is a good thing to do if you believe that the owner of the dog is negligent, because it could prevent the same thing from happening to someone else in the future. In some rare cases dogs are actually taken away from owners who mistreat the dog or who don’t take care when the dog is around others.
Compensation
The compensation which you are awarded will depend on how much this ordeal has cost you, and the severity of the injury which you have sustained. This will be calculated by your legal team who will then look to negotiate with the owner of the dog in order to reach a settlement. If they cannot negotiate a settlement which you are happy with, the case can be heard in court.
It is important to remember that there are no bad dogs out there, but rather that there are bad owners. If you have been bitten by a dog because of a bad owner, it is important that you take it to a law firm in order to pursue a lawsuit against that owner.
