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How
To Protect Your Rights If Bitten By A Dog
To make a legal claim for injuries resulting from a dog bite
you must prove:
1. The defendant owned a dog;
2. The dog bit or attacked you;
3. At the time of the bite you were at a public place or
lawfully at a private place;
4. The dog bite caused you to suffer injury, damage, loss or
harm;
5. The owner knew or should have known the dog might be
vicious; and
6. The owner was negligent in protecting others from the dog.
You must also show you were not at fault yourself for the
injuries. Some ways you could be responsible are:
1. Touching the dog;
2. Pulling the dog's chain or an object in the dog's mouth; or
3. Taunting the dog;
If the conditions for liability are met, you can get money for
some or all of the following things:
1. Past medical treatment;
2. Future medical treatment, such as scar reduction;
3. Loss of earnings; and
4. Property damage, such as torn clothing and broken glasses.
Steps to take to protect your rights after a dog bite:
1. Get the name and address and telephone number of the owner
of the dog.
2. Get the name, address and telephone number of any potential
witness. (You may have to return to the accident scene, and
knock on the doors of nearby homes and businesses. You also
should revisit the scene of the accident several times at the
same time at which the accident took place, because people may
have a habit of going there as part of their daily routine.)
3. Take photos of all of your wounds, bruises and bloody
clothing.
4. If possible, obtain insurance information from the dog
owner.
There are several ways you can lose your rights. Here are some
rules to follow:
1. Do not sign anything presented by an insurance company, the
owner of the dog, the landlord or other owner of the property
where the attack took place. Do not make a report for any
insurance company, dog owner, landlord or other property
owner.
2. Contact an attorney. You must file a court case within a
certain period of time after an incident or you will lose your
rights to do so. Call a lawyer as soon as possible. Your
attorney will help get evidence and monitor your medical
treatment and your attorney will deal with the insurance
company to make sure you get the full compensation you
deserve.
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