Most dog owners understand their responsibility to keep their animals under control. Others do not. They allow their animals to run wild and refuse to take responsibility when someone gets hurt. If you have been the victim of a dog bite, you do have legal options. You should not allow a reckless and irresponsible owner get away with it. You should hold such a person accountable.
The First Steps
Your first move should be to contact a lawyer. Before you file an official claim, you should have a legal strategy or the beginnings of one in place. During the initial consultation your lawyer will ask you to recall the facts that led to the dog attack and all that happened afterward. This will be used as a basis for the development of their strategy.
Your Right to Remain Safe
Both dog owners and individuals in the general public have responsibilities when it comes to safety. Dog owners should keep their pets on a short leash when they take them out for walks in the neighborhood and in the park. If they know the dog tends to bite, then they should have them fitted with a muzzle.
You must also do your part to keep safe. Never pet a dog you don’t know, even if you have the permission of the owner. You should also keep small children away from dogs. Your child may do something that the animal takes as a provocation.
Your Injuries
After the dog attack you must seek immediate medical attention. Your wounds must be cleaned, treated, and bandaged. You must also undergo a course of rabies shots. If the attack was especially severe, you may have to spend weeks and months in the hospital recovering. You will not be able to earn during this time and you will face a mountain of medical bills when you are finally released.
If you are in a job that requires a great deal of physical labor and exertion, you may be forced out of it. Or you may have to take a lower-paying position. These sorts of things can lead to the strain of your finances and family life. You should not have to contend with the situation alone. The people who caused you so much grief should be made to pay.
Your Lawyer
The main aim of your lawyer will be to prove that the attack occurred just as you said it did. Dog owners tend to be fiercely loyal to their pets. The owner of the dog that attacked you will deny it out of fear of that the animal will be taken away from them and destroyed. For this reason, your lawyer will engage the services of a professional investigator. The latter will gather enough witness statements to corroborate your version of events. Your lawyer will also get medical experts to make statements that explain the nature and extent of your injuries and how they could have only been caused by a dog bite.
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