Were you or a loved one attacked by a dog in Orlando? Read about the 4 things you need to know about dog bites, then call our attorneys now.
1. Beware of Dog Sign
If a dog owner has a beware of dog sign and you are on the property invited by them, there are certain protections afforded by putting on that warning but that doesn’t mean that the owner of the dog is completely absolved from any liability if you are attacked by that dangerous dog. The dog owner still has a responsibility to not act negligently. They have a responsibility and a duty to you to either keep the dog chained up, keep the dog locked away. There’s any number of things that a homeowner can do or not do that will expose themselves to liability for negligence. Just because they have that bad dog sign doesn’t absolve them from responsibility. Now, if they have a bad dog sign and someone’s a trespasser on the property, they might be off the hook, but for you, someone who’s invited on the property and is attacked by their dog, just because they have that warning sign doesn’t preclude you from recovery from that dog owner’s negligence. It’s reasons like this that it’s critically important for you to hire an attorney who’s experienced in dog bite attacks, not just any attorney.
2. Case Value
What are the injuries and the medical bills associated with those injuries. Generally, the higher the medical bills, the higher the value of the case. Now, that’s just a starting off point. Dog bites tend to have devastating consequences and have repercussions in every aspect of your life. Now, what we call that is pain and suffering. Again, it’s unlike any other type of case. There could be psychological issues that you experience down the road. Maybe you never feel comfortable around a dog again. These are things that are compensable under our system. There are things that a jury might award you on top of what your medical bills and expenses are.
Also did you lose time from work because of the incident? Did you lose the ability to earn income in the future? Have you had to make certain accommodations to your life because of your injuries? There’s any number of things that could contribute to the value of your case, but it is critically important that you hire an attorney that is experienced in these types of cases. Not just a personal injury attorney but an attorney that’s experienced in dog bite cases.
3. Case Timeline
Dog bite cases can be complicated but the biggest thing about them is the amount of damage that can be sustained from a dog bite. That can be something as little as a nip or it can be a devastating injury and permanent damage, muscle damage, nerve damage, tissue damage. It all depends on the particular injury. That’s going to determine how long it takes to settle your case in part because the amount of treatment you get is something that shouldn’t be rushed. If you have devastating injuries, you need to follow through with all that treatment. Cases where medical treatment is less severe, they tend to settle a little bit more quickly.
The second factor is liability. If the owner of the dog accepts liability, then certainly that will push the case along more quickly. What we find is dog bite cases can be extremely complicated in that whether it’s a dog owner, a renter, a landlord who might be liable for your damages, that can determine who accepts liability, who denies liability. Dog bite cases are unlike any other type of case. If an attorney is not specifically experienced in dog bite cases, your case could end up in limbo for a very long time.
4. After a Dog Bite
If you can, dial 911 right away. Dog bites are severe, and they can be fatal. Unfortunately, we’ve had one too many clients whose lives have been devastated due to a dog attack. There are certain things that can be done right away to help your case along obviously. As much information as you can gather by way of photographs and video is extremely helpful to your case. A lot of times, people who are the victims of dog bites never get the photograph of the dog, the surrounding circumstances. Maybe that dog got out of a yard. Maybe there was a fence that was open at the particular time. Where did that dog come from? Did it have a leash on it? Did it have a collar? There’s a lot of investigation that goes on into building up a dog bite claim.
Now, the attorneys here at the Victory law firm are extremely experienced in this so it’s critically important that you hire an attorney who knows what they’re talking about when it comes to these types of cases. For example, different jurisdictions have different rules on dog bite cases, from Miami Dade County to Broward County to Hillsborough County, Orange County, there’s different rules in place. For example, here in Orange County, a dog must be on a leash if it’s not contained within the home at all times. Now, that can vary from county to county. Miami Dade County has flat out bans on certain breeds of dogs. Counties might have different restrictions based on the breed of dog, from Rottweilers to Pit bulls, Dobermans, Chows, Akitas, there’s a lot of very specific information that an experienced attorney in dog bite cases will know and will bring to bear to bring out the value of your case. If you are the victim of a dog bite case, first thing you need to do, get medical attention right away, no matter the severity of your injury. The second thing is to call an attorney.
Have you suffered a serious injury because you were attacked by a dog in Florida and have questions about the 4 things you need to know about dog bites? Contact our experienced Orlando dog bite lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
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