Dog bite attacks are horrific! When you or someone you know is a victim, the sooner you get qualified information and conscientious service from a highly experienced attorney with dog bite cases like Edward Bernstein & Associates the better! Dog bites and attacks involve everything from treatment for immediate injuries to navigating the complex rules, regulations, and laws across various municipalities and agencies. They are a minefield fraught with constant surprises and issues as diverse as determining pet ownership to determining fault and liability. Beyond that there are almost always lasting physical and psychological issues, some that may not become apparent until years later. When you sustain a dog bite, don’t even think about handling it yourself. Contact a personal injury attorney in Las Vegas to assist you with the following:
Locate the Owner of the Dog
It’s helpful when you happen to know the owner of the attacking dog. Your attorney will contact its owner and follow up. But when the attack is random or the dog disappears, attorneys know the best and quickest ways to locate the owner of the dog. Most dog bites occur when animals are off leash or have escaped their owner's yards or houses. Finding the owner is very important because that’s primarily who you want to file a personal injury lawsuit against. Your attorney often knows the people at animal control, pet licensing, rescue, and even veterinarian facilities. While you and I might think about dog licensing and microchipping, a good attorney is miles ahead of us in thought and access. Additionally, they have established relationships with private investigating and canvassing services.
Help You Get Medical Care
When bit by a dog and injured, you obviously need quick medical attention. A personal injury lawyer knows good doctors and facilities who can and will care for your dog bite injuries. They often work with medical professionals who can accommodate you and treat your case on a lien basis. Meaning you do not need to pay the doctor right away. This is really helpful for people who have to come up with a co-pay, or who are without health insurance, or retired folks on Medicare who lack supplemental coverage. The doctor is willing to wait to get paid from the money when your case settles.File a Personal Injury Lawsuit
You may want to file a personal injury lawsuit against individuals like the ones who own the dog or whoever was in charge of it at the time of the attack. Your attorney will determine if others contributed to the reason you were attacked. This could be property owners who poorly maintained fencing or folks who might have been antagonizing the animal. A good attorney has the experience, skills, and vision beyond what you and I will think about. A personal injury lawsuit helps you recover money for medical expenses, lost income and wages, payment for pain and suffering, and compensation for lasting physical and emotional scaring resulting from the attack.
Protect You Against Counter Suit
Once you file a dog bite case, the individual you sue may hire a lawyer to defend against the case and even counter sue you. Expect their lawyer to launch a series of common dog bite defenses. This is to deflect blame to yourself, other people, the physical environment, or other circumstances. Some of the more common defenses include charges that you taunted or teased the dog; you were on the property illegally or trespassing when you were bitten. If nothing else your adversary is hopeful that these defenses will help reduce their liability. A great personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas works diligently to show why you were not at fault for the dog bite, and how and why the dog really bit you.Work to Get You a Fair Settlement
Your personal injury attorney helps you get a fair settlement. Settling dog bite cases is always challenging. It’s often hard to put an amount of money on things like pain and suffering, psychological trauma and scarring. However, an experienced lawyer who has handled many cases similar to yours knows precedents and what fair amounts have been awarded and what circumstances they were based upon. They will recognize the variances and differences in your individual case, and they will work hard to help you recover the most money possible.