Navigating a Dog Bite Incident: Should You Seek Legal Counsel?

Navigating a Dog Bite Incident: Should You Seek Legal Counsel?

How to Handle Dog Bite Incident

If you have experienced injury due to a dog bite, you may wonder if you should hire a personal injury lawyer. As you undoubtedly already know, dog bites can be harmful in various ways. The most frequent risk is an infection, but the most severe bites can cause broken bones, disfigurement, and internal trauma. After a dog bite, action must be taken immediately to stop further health issues. After receiving medical care, you might also want to consult a qualified dog bite law firm near me that can gather information about the case and determine whether you have enough evidence to pursue a civil lawsuit. Some advantages to contacting a Florida dog bite attorney include the following:

1. When victims pursue compensation without the representation of a personal injury lawyer, they receive far less compensation than when they are represented. This is where experience counts. Most people in this situation are doing their best to care for themselves and recover from injuries; they do not have the mental capacity or legal experience to maximize compensation.

2. Many lawyers will review your case and help with bills while they work to settle your case. This means you get the financial help and full medical attention you need if you don’t have the money to use while recovering from your injuries. Most injury lawyers also work on contingency, meaning you do not have to pay for the lawyer if they don’t win a settlement.

3. When you represent yourself, you become the prosecutor. You may have little to no experience or expertise in these matters, increasing your stress and the likelihood of making costly and time-consuming mistakes. This is when you want your energy and focus on healing, not adding stress to the physical and emotional trauma already incurred

4. Lawyers know how to be firm but civil. Because they are not the ones who are hurt or emotionally involved, they can pursue compensation fairly and civilly. They are also the ones who have to communicate with each party, from the dog owners to the insurance companies, to your employers. Having a Lake Worth dog bite attorney involved also helps the dog owner because the lawyer will negotiate with the insurance company instead of a private citizen engaging them for compensation. 

5. Most dog bite cases settle with insurance companies outside of court. When you hire a personal injury attorney, you ensure that the case will be handled more quickly and efficiently. 

6. Lawyers have the experience to determine fair compensation. They know all of the different ways and categories where a victim could gain compensation, and they do the work to get the documentation to prove value to the number sought as compensation. Some of the situations include loss of income, mental anguish and counseling required to overcome it, medical bills, and potential loss of future income. 

7. Lawyers have the resources needed to gather evidence. They may hire expert medical witnesses, detectives and researchers to determine the prior history of the dog in question, or staff to spend time acquiring information from insurance companies or your employer. 

8. Finally, personal injury lawyers have experience dealing with third parties that may also file suits against the dog owner. These may include insurance companies or medical practices that could potentially lay claim to some of the settlement. Lawyers negotiate with them on your behalf, protecting your settlement and bringing the most amount of money to you.