If you have suffered a dog bite, then you might need the help of a dog bite attorney. Many people in this position question whether they need to hire one or not. They assume it is expensive. They assume they can just make a claim against the at-fault party’s insurance company. Unfortunately, it is not always that way. Keep reading to find out how you might be benefitted by working with an attorney and then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 if you would like to get started.
An Attorney Can Help Prove Your Case
The main job of your personal injury attorney is to prove your case so that you are compensated for your damages. First, we will work to prove that another person or a company was liable or legally responsible for your injuries. We will then work to recover compensatory payments from them. This might mean suing their insurance company or suing an individual or company directly.
There Are Several Legal Theories That Might Be Pursued
Your attorney will use the legal theory that makes the most sense for your specific case. This might include the dog bite statute, which holds the owner of a dog strictly liable. This means that you do not have to prove that the owner knew or should have known that the dog was aggressive and capable of biting. This holds that by owning a dog, a person takes on the risk of it biting someone.
There are certain instances in which this legal theory might not hold. For example, if the dog bites a dog walker, if the dog attacks at a dog park, or if the dog bites while a person is trespassing on the owner’s property. However, in these cases we might be able to still win your case by showing that someone acted negligently and that negligence led to the dog bite, or that the owner of the dog was not following local laws or regulations in a way that is proven to be negligent per se.
What if the Owner Does Not Have Insurance?
If the dog owner does not have insurance that covers the dog bite, you have not lost your case necessarily. First, if the owner has significant assets then we can sue them directly. Second, we can determine if there was another party that was partially responsible. For example, if the dog was known to be aggressive and was living on a landlord’s property, that landlord might be held accountable instead of the direct owner of the dog.
No matter who is at fault and who is held accountable, your personal injury attorney will be there to aggressively negotiate the best possible outcome for your case. You can get started with a free legal consultation by contacting Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707.
