Three Types Of Compensation You May Be Entitled To Due To A Dog Bite
Posted on: 11 September 2017
If you are attacked by a dog and bitten, you should seek medical attention immediately. You also want to identify the dog's owner. If you are bitten on someone's property this will be apparent. But sometimes it will be a dog running loose in a residential neighborhood. In this case, if you ask any witness to the attack, they will usually know who the dog belongs to. Once you have this information and have been released from a doctor's care, you will need to speak to an attorney. There are many areas of compensation you may be entitled to. The following are three of them.
Medical compensation
You may have an idea of how much your initial visit to the hospital cost you, but with a dog bite, there may be more medical bills in the future. Some of this will depend upon how severe the canine attack was. There may be an issue of physical therapy. This is especially true with a bite to the hands or lower legs. You may not be aware of a physical problem until weeks after the attack, but a personal injury attorney will have the experience to know what issues you may face down the line based upon the injuries you have sustained from the attack.
Compensation for loss of income and property
Income loss due to medical leave from work is something that every attorney can try to get for you. Even if you have some vacation time coming to you, it should not be used for recovering from an attack that was not your fault. You are also entitled to compensation for property loss damage. This includes anything that you own that was damaged because of the dog attack. This can include valuables such as an expensive purse or article of clothing. You can also be reimbursed for jewelry that was damaged during the attack.
Pain and suffering
Exactly what you are entitled to will depend upon your circumstances and your state's laws, but pain is only one issue that falls under this category. Many people suffer permanent damage after a dog bite. A loss of movement in the fingers or the ability to walk can decrease the quality of your life, sometimes for years to come.
Of course, identifying the financial assets needed to pay you compensation is one of the skills of a personal injury lawyer. In the case of a business or a homeowner, there may be liability insurance, but if there is no insurance to pay for the damages, there may other financial resources that a dog owner may have to pay for your compensation. For more information, contact companies like Gartner Law Firm.
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