Dog Bites 101: 3 Tips To Improve Your Chances Of Winning Your Personal Injury Case
Posted on: 25 July 2017
A dog bite can be a very traumatic experience. If you have suffered from a dog bite, you may want to file a personal injury claim and hire a dog bite attorney. Unfortunately, many people go about this wrong and wind up getting denied the compensation they deserve. Luckily, you can increase your chances of a successful claim by following these three tips.
1. Obtain Medical Treatment
If you plan to file a personal injury claim against the dog's owner or insurance company, you need to seek medical treatment. Even if the injury doesn't seem very serious or severe, you should always see a doctor. This might sound silly, but dog bite victims may not show symptoms immediately. For example, it could take weeks to develop the symptoms of rabies. So even if you believe you are fine, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible.
The doctor can treat your wound and monitor you for potentially life-threatening symptoms. The doctor can also document your injury and treatment, which can be very helpful if your case goes to court. So always see a doctor quickly after being bitten.
2. Take Photos
While it might be hard to think straight, it's important that you get photos of your bite. So try to take a few photos of the injury immediately after the bite. Follow up with more photos as the bite heals and progresses. If you can, try to take photos from several angles with good lighting. After all, these photographs will document the severity of your bite.
3. Report The Bite
You'll also need to report the dog bite to the appropriate authorities. Depending on where you live and your local laws, you may need to report the bite to the local police or animal control. If you want to be on the safe side, you may want to report the bite to both the local police department and animal control. Both of these parties may want to visit with you, ask questions, or observe the dog. So report the bite quickly so that you can follow up with the police and animal control as needed.
Dog bites are unfortunate. However, they do occur — and more than you would think. Luckily, you can file a personal injury claim to cover your medical expenses and lost wages. If you have been bitten and are interested in filing a claim, make sure to use these tips, along with hiring a dog bite attorney, to increase your odds of winning.
Share