How Will I Get Compensated For A Dog Bite?

Dog bites and attacks are on the rise and when one occurs, it can cause physical and emotional injuries that can result in extensive medical care and time off from work. Extensive injuries can also have a major impact on a person’s quality of life.

When a victim has been bitten by a dog, they have the right to seek some compensation for all the pain and suffering and to pay for their injuries that have resulted in medical care. Most dog bites and attacks are protected under a homeowner insurance policy that is owned by the dog owner. So when an attack occurs, a claim should be filed immediately with the insurance company.

Since insurance companies can be difficult to work with, you will want to hire a personal injury lawyer that is capable of handling dog bite cases. When an attack occurs, a claim is filed, your lawyer will go to work for you to get you the justice you deserve. If the insurance company refuses to pay or wants to settle for a low amount, your lawyer will then take that insurance company to court in order to get the amount of money you deserve.

Types of Available Compensation

What types of compensation can you receive for a dog bite injury? First, the courts will need to know exactly what happened and how the attack played out. In many cases, the dog bite victim can receive the following compensation:

Current and Future Medical Expenses

The severity of the injuries received will determine the intensity of the medical care necessary for healing the body. It will also play a factor in how much compensation you receive in the end. The severity of your injuries and the medical care they require will be a significant determining factor in the amount of compensation you are able to recover after a dog bite.

While your case is being handled by the Personal Injury Lawyer in Orillia that you hire, you will still be attending medical appointments and treatments to recover from your injuries. You will most likely be receiving bills for

• Your initial emergency room visit
• Ambulance/helicopter ride
• Doctor visit
• Surgery if necessary
• Medications prescribed
• Medical equipment needed
• Medical tests ordered
• At home care

Lost Wages

Serious injuries will also require many victims to miss time away from work. If your injuries received have prevented you from working or carrying on with your normal routine, you can file for compensation for lost wages. Your lawyer can go over the types of compensation that you can consider when filing your claim. He or she may ask you questions to help determine if lost wages includes care for your family including driving them to places that you normally do prior to the accident.

Pain and Suffering

After a dog bite occurs, the victim can be left with physical scars that can also make it emotionally traumatic. While there is physical discomfort following this type of attack, there is also the emotional and mental anguish you may experience while you are recovering.

Emotional Distress

Emotional distress is normal after suffering a dog attack and it can be very traumatic for you. While some may not suffer long with the emotional distress, others may have a difficult time adjusted post-attack.

Emotional distress can also lead to other issues that may be difficult to get past. These include:

• Nightmares
• Fear of animals in general
• Avoiding reminders of what happened
• Flashbacks of the attack