Learn some basic information about strong dog bite injury claims.
Have you been bitten by a dog? You may be able to hold the owner or handler responsible for your injuries and suffering. However, not all cases justify pursuing a lawsuit. Here is a bit of information that will help you tell if you have a strong claim.
Can You Prove the Facts of the Case?
There are three very important facts that must be proven in any dog bite injury case:
- The identity of the dog and owner
- The circumstances of the bite
- The severity of the injury
Naturally you cannot have a valid claim without evidence to prove these vital points. You must be able to prove the identity of the dog and owner or handler in order to know who to target in your lawsuit. You must be able to prove that the dog attacked through no fault or liability of your own because the defense will likely attempt to argue that you brought the injury on yourself by either provoking the dog or knowingly assuming the risk of interacting with the dog. And finally you must be able to prove the severity of the injury in order to justify the amount of compensation you will be seeking.
Are There any Extenuating Circumstances?
One final consideration is whether or not any extenuating circumstances exist that may relieve the dog’s owner of liability for its actions. For example, if you were bitten in the course of a police action, you do not automatically have a case. Police departments are not liable for bites that may be suffered by individuals in the course of an arrest or during the investigation of a crime (provided they were party to that crime). However, police departments are liable for bites suffered by bystanders.
Do You Have Significant Losses?
Just because the facts of your case are in order and you have a legally valid claim does not necessarily make it practical to pursue that claim. You need to make sure that you have significant quantifiable, documented losses to justify the time and expense of initiating a dog bite injury claim. While medical bills are certainly an important type of loss to consider, the value of your claim will be increased if you can also add lost wages or permanent scarring to the claim.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Attorney Vargas
If you would like more information about pursuing a dog bite injury claim, your best option is to schedule a free initial consultation with experienced dog bite lawyer Fernando D. Vargas. He can give you a professional estimate of your case’s value and likelihood of success based on his many years of experience.
