The Role of a Dog Bite Injury Lawyer

When someone gets injured due to a dog bite in Tampa, ideally, they are entitled to a personal injury claim. This is imposed on the dog owner or the property owner where the accident occurred. Dog bites are severe as they can cause – phobia of dogs, emotional trauma, disability, surgery, or scarring. Unfortunately, despite strict laws against pet attacks, cases of bites continue to occur, and the results are also frightening. If you find yourself in this situation, you should hire a dog bite injury lawyer.

You will get the due claim if you have recently suffered personal injuries due to a dog attack. As these claims are covered in the dog owner’s insurance policy, the victim can easily file the due claim against the damage caused. But to file a claim, it’s necessary to establish the dog owner’s negligence.   

Now let us explore the injuries one can experience through a dog bite; how can you file a claim with the help of a dog bite lawyer in Tampa?  

Possible personal injuries from a dog attack  

Depending upon the circumstances, a dog bite can result in minor scratches to major displacements. Apart from physical injury, one goes through physiological trauma that can affect your days after injury. For example –   

• The victim who experiences a dog bite may feel turmoil at night   
• He may struggle to fall asleep   
• Develop a phobia of dogs even in the daytime   
• He may also experience panic attacks   
• Build fear of the dog whenever he encounters the dog again  
• May feel traumatized   
• Encounter nightmares   

Apart from these physiological damages, one can go through physical damages that include –   

• Scratches  
• Damaged bone  
• Broken ligament or damaged tissue  
• Fracture   
• Permanent displacements   
• Tendon damage   
• Infection  
• Deep cuts, etc  

Although it’s not easy to determine the intensity of dog bite injury until it has an external effect, the victim needs to get to check whether they got any internal damage or not.   

Ideal liability of dog owner   

As per Tampa’s revised rules – dog owners can be held liable for the injury caused by their dogs. As these owners are directed to obey the strict liability standards, they must avoid such situations that can increase the risk of a dog attack.  

For example –   

• Suppose you have a non-gated property, and your dog bites an uninvited guest. The owner can be held liable for the resulting injuries. They would be imposed with compensation to the victim. Depending upon the damage’s severity, the compensation cost may vary.  

• Suppose your property is gated, but you do not have any onlookers on your gate regarding the dog’s warning. And unfortunately, your guest gets injured due to the dog attack”. In such scenarios, the homeowner or the dog owner will be held liable for the damage caused.   

• Suppose you are among the family members, and you are a victim of a dog attack. Here it’s necessary to determine whether the owner was aware of the possible risk and whether they tried to make any effort to prevent such risk or not. However, if a dog owner fails to exercise the standard care act, they will be strictly entitled to compensation for the victim.   

Sometimes the dog owner can also get a free bite where they are not liable to give any compensation to the victim:

The concept of free bite   

The concept of free bite is very simple! Suppose you have a dog and comes from a sober breed that does not pose any danger to humanity, but due to uncertain circumstances, the dog bites the other person. 

Here Tampa dog bite lawyer will study whether the dog has a vicious breed and whether the dog has bitten anyone previously or not. The dog owner cannot be held liable for any claim if it comes out as an accidental bite. As per law – most dogs get one “free” bite if they previously haven’t bitten anyone.  

Dog bite injury lawyer: Compensation one can claim after a dog bite  

As a vicious dog attack can result in minor injuries, the dog owner is liable to compensate the victim for their medical treatment. Along with compensation to get the victim back to their previous lifestyle.  

Similarly, there are various claims one can collect after getting injured in a dog attack:   

• Medical Bills   

This is the most common expense that can result from a dog bite. Typically, these bills include – expenses for hospital services, doctors’ fees, physical therapy, medication, and psychological treatment (if required). Few injuries may even require continuous treatment or therapy until the dog’s bite fully recovers. 

However, this process may increase medical expenses but do worry. They will all get compensated. The major motive behind recovering the damages is to strengthen the financial condition of the victim and to punish the convict so that they won’t repeat such a mistake.   

To file the compensation, ensure you collect all your bills and medical reports to present in court and legally attain the due compensation you deserve.   

• Suffering and pain  

When you are injured due to a dog bite, you suffer physical pain, and your family also suffers mental and emotional pain. But don’t worry, these damages are also compensated, and the victim will get financial compensation against the punitive damages. However, one can only file compensation – if the convict’s actions showed negligence, irresponsible behavior, or misconduct. 

This misconduct can be anything – whether the owner forgot to leash the dog, fails to practice legal acts of care, or fails to put onlookers for the guests or other people.   

• Lost Income  

Suppose a victim cannot return to their work or is forced to take out time from work for treatment, medical diagnosis, or recovery. In that case, the victim is entitled to receive reasonable compensation. 

Sometimes the victim loses the ability to earn or receive income which makes them entitled to file a reimbursement for lost wages. Furthermore, if the victim loses the ability to return to work with the same capacity, they can also be compensated for the loss of earning capacity. 

• Property Damage  

Although it’s rare to see any property damage during a dog bite, in case the dog bite victim was wearing eyeglasses or carrying a gadget while the dog attacked in such cases the convicted party will be responsible for the loss. 

But here, it is important to note that if the victim were carrying the gadget, the attorney would have to analyze the actual cost of the gadget on the day of the accident. 

Along with these compensations, there are a few more reimbursements that the insurers of the convict can easily compensate.   

• Surgeries, if required  
• Home care expenses  
• Rehabilitation and follow-up appointments  
• Counseling and mental health treatments  
• The impact on day-to-day life 
• Loss of care, guidance, and companionship  

How an attorney can help you with dog bite compensation  

It’s not easy to predict how an unfamiliar dog will react in Front of unknown people. The dog can injure an experienced person with aggressive behavior or severely harm a physically vulnerable child. 

Most of the time, the unattended aggressive behavior forces the dog to behave in such a manner. However, hiring a legal attorney or dog bite lawyer is essential to prove the dog owner’s or homeowner’s negligence. They will study your case and make sure to provide the compensation you deserve legally.   

The lawyers have years of experience, so they know the right technique to fight the lawsuit and present you in court if required.  

Contact Coleman Law Group

If you or your loved one got injured in a dog bite accident, contact Coleman Law Group to get fair compensation. We at the Coleman Law Group are skilled dog bite injury attorneys who will work with you to obtain the compensation you are entitled to. We’re ready to do everything in our power to assist you in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

Get a free consultation from a compassionate and sympathetic injury lawyer by calling the Coleman Law Group.