2 Reasons To Use A Personal Injury Attorney As A Resource After A Neighborhood Dog Bite Incident

Dog bite incidents happen to total strangers, but sometimes the incidents involve parties who know each other. This is an incident that can happen in many neighborhoods especially if there are no leash laws. Most individuals desire amicable interactions with their neighbors. A dog bite incident can threaten unity in a community. This can lead some dog bite victims to be unsure of whether they need to seek compensation and acquire a personal injury attorney. The following points identify reasons that you should use a personal injury attorney as a resource if this ever happens to you.

Unbiased Advice

A neighborhood dog bite incident often attracts the opinions of individuals who are close to the victim as well as the dog owner. Sometimes these individuals are close acquaintances with both parties and may also be familiar with the dog in question. Opinions from others may be biased. They might try to influence your decision to seek compensation. Some may agree that your medical bills should be covered. However, some dog bite victims have damages besides their medical bills. 

Some individuals who have a closer relationship with a dog's owner may want to offer advice to protect the owner. They might offer simple advice and try to normalize the situation. This can cause victims to question whether they should seek compensation. Sometimes dog bite incidents result in sanctions for the owners. Victims may be requested to testify in court. Their testimony in the criminal case could be used in a civil suit. 

A personal injury attorney can offer advice to a dog bite victim about the importance of giving accurate testimony in a criminal proceeding. Victims who minimize the incident could harm their civil court cases when they seek compensation.

Determine What Is Compensable

There are a number of things that can happen when a dog bites. Some victims may get property damages such as a damaged bicycle or damage to a vehicle if a person has to run and use a vehicle's hood or trunk surface to get to safety. There might be several medical appointments after the emergency room visit. Serious bog bite incidents might require surgery and physical therapy. Some dogs harbor bacteria in their saliva that can be dangerous or fatal if the bacteria enter the bloodstream of humans. The severe reaction and presence of bacteria may not be noticed until days or longer after the incident. There are many things that a victim can discover after a dog bite incident that requires compensation. This is why a victim needs to be mindful of speaking with a dog owner's insurance provider or attorney.


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