You’ve just been attacked by a dog. Here is what you should do …
The dog bite lawyers at Madalon Law understand the traumatic state a person can be left in after they’ve been attacked and bitten by a dog. With 4.7 million people bitten by animals every year, it’s scary how often dog bites actually occur. The dog owner is almost always responsible for the attack, but insurance companies are finding more and more ways to dig into the grey areas of dog bite laws.
If you are bitten by a dog, there are certain steps you should take that can benefit your health and also help with any legal action from the attack.
- Are you ok? – If you are losing a lot of blood, put pressure on the wound. Call 911 for emergency services.
- We must determine the owner of the dog – this is not just to identify who is responsible, but also to seek information about the dog. Rabies is common in Florida with dog bites. Rabies shots can be very painful. Being able to speak to the owner could save you from this process.
- Get medical attention from a hospital or emergency room – Dog bite wounds can be easily infected due to the bacteria in a dog’s mouth. There is also the possibility of rabies. This medical documentation also helps. Make sure you follow the doctor’s orders.
- Eyewitnesses – Talk to any eyewitnesses and get their contact information.
- Take pictures – Use the camera on your phone or any other camera you can find. Take pictures of the injuries, the animal and also the environment. Also take any picture of a “Beware of Dog” or “Bad Dog” sign that you may have missed – make sure that the picture(s) shows where the sign was when the attack happened.
- Report the incident to your local animal control – File a bite report.
- DO NOT discuss who was responsible for the dog bite with the dog owner – This can come back to haunt you.
- DO NOT talk to the homeowner’s insurance company – Their goal is to pay out as little as possible or nothing at all. By talking to them, you are allowing yourself to be interviewed and that can hurt the amount of money you may be able to recover.
- Hire a Lawyer – Even though 4.7 million people a year are bitten by an animal, only 15,000 recovered money for the dog attack they suffered. You need an Injury Firm that has experience fighting insurance adjusters.
Dog Bite Cases are different from other types of personal injury cases. The Dog Bite Lawyers at Madalon Law not only understand how insurance companies approach dog bites, but also know what it takes to fight the insurance adjusters. Madalon Law also takes on the financial legal fees to fight this case for you. We will not even bill you unless we are able to recover financial compensation for your injuries from the animal attack. Contact us for your free consultation and get answers from a dog bite lawyer now.