What to do after a dog bite in Tampa?

A dog attack is traumatizing and creates a panic! In addition, it can inflict various serious injuries in a few seconds. Dog attack injuries include cuts, broken bones, tissue injuries, permanent injuries, and emotional distress. 

These injuries require medical attention and psychiatric care to heal the emotional trauma. Unfortunately, the hospitalization charges, medical bills, and long-term care can develop financial losses for an individual. In this article, you can read about what to do after a dog bite in Tampa.

To recover such losses, is it possible to get compensation if someone else’s dog attacks you? 

Yes, a dog owner can be held liable to pay compensation for the physical and emotional loss. In doing so, it is critical to take legal assistance from an attorney. The law attorneys are specialized in handling dog bite cases. The dog bite lawyer in Tampa gives the best possible advice regarding the case situation.  

The legal professionals navigate the case with strict liability laws to recover the damages you deserve. 

What are Injuries Caused in a Dog Bite Case? 

 Here are a few injuries that are caused by dog bites.  

• Lacerations 
• Puncture wounds 
• Facial injuries 
• Head and neck injuries 
• Eye injuries 
• Bone fractures 
• Rabies and other infections 
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement 
• Emotional distress 

Important Protocol to be Followed as a Safety Measure After a Dog Attack 

Getting first aid after a dog bite is a must for all victims. Before taking any further steps, it is important to follow this general protocol immediately after dog bite injuries: 

• Clean the wound with soap and water 
• Apply pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding 
• Put sterile band to cover the wound 
• Seek medical aid for severe wounds and infections. 

What to do Next After an Attack? Here’s what to do after a dog bite in Tampa

A dog attack creates a panicking situation around after an incident. You may not understand what to do next after the accident. So, staying calm and considering the following things instantly after a dog attack is better.

Call for Medical Aid 

Immediately call for medical help as soon as you get a dog bite. First, check out the injuries and take first aid. Then, visit the medical experts for evaluation of the wounds. In the initial stage, health experts can check the seriousness of the wounds and the infections.   

Document the Incident 

After getting the first aid, firstly document the scene. Next, take Photographs of the wounds, torn clothes, and other damages. The photographs are evidence that can be claimed to provide maximum compensation for the damage.  

Exchange Information of Dog Owners & Witnesses 

Take out the information of every instance that happened during the dog attack. Gather information about the passersby who witnessed the case. Collect the contact information of the witnesses and the dog owner. It can help you to contact the witnesses and dog owner later for other processes.   

File a Police Report 

A police report is a valid proof that helps you prove the other side guilty. It contains relevant information about the incident, like the time of the attack, information on the evidence, and more. Take a copy of the police report with you.  

Contact the Law Attorney 

In most cases, the dog owners can accuse you and hold you responsible for the dog bite for provoking the dog to bite. In such cases, calling a law attorney is the best decision. First, your attorney frames the best strategies to help you get desired outcomes. Then, on your behalf, an attorney negotiates with the dog owners and the insurance companies. 

Damages You Can Recover After a Dog Bite Incident? 

An individual can recover compensation from the dog owner’s insurance company. Here are some of the compensations you can get for a dog bite attack: 

Medical Compensations 

A dog bite can cause serious medical complications in an individual. An individual can keep the medical bills intact to claim damages. The medical compensation includes: 

• Ambulance charges 
• Hospitalization fees 
• Medications 
• Rabies and tetanus shot expenses
• Plastic surgery for scares and disfigurement 
• Post-operative care 

Property Damage 

A dog bite case creates property damage such as tearing the purse, and ruining a backpack, watch, and other accessories. So, to receive property damage compensations, one can claim for the losses from the owner. 

Lost Wages 

In severe injuries, there are chances that you may have to miss work. You can reclaim the lost wages in the lawsuit. One can receive compensation for: 

• Salary 
• Bonus 
• Commissions  

The attorney calculates the monetary total for the requests and pays the lost wages compensations to you. 

Pain and Sufferings 

Proving pain and suffering to the owner and in the lawsuit is the most difficult claim to win. Physical pain can be traced to external and internal wounds, but the emotional struggle is difficult to illustrate. The insurance companies follow various approaches to evidence your pain and suffering claim. It may include: 

• Depression therapies 
• PTSD treatment 
• Psychiatric appointments 
• Medication charges 

How Long it Takes for a Case Settlement 

The dog case settlement depends upon the extent of the injuries that one faces in an accident. In some cases, you can get quick settlements, and in some cases, it may take several weeks to months to get the claims. Factors that influence you to get the claims include: 

• The extent of dog bite case injuries 
• Is the owner liable to pay the compensation or not? 
• Does the dog have documented history of biting the dog or not? 
• Is there any insurance policy covering the victim’s injuries or not? 

How can an Attorney Help you in a Dog Bite Case? 

A owner may disagree with paying the compensation to you. But a law attorney in such situations negotiates with the owner on your behalf to grant justice to you. Here is how a law attorney can protect your rights.  

Review the Case 

A law attorney reviews your case and details every prospect of the case. Lawyers analyze the ins and outs of every case aspect and craft the strategies to provide the best outcomes for the case. In addition, the lawyers keep a check on a couple of options to possibly determine the viability of the dog bite case claims and how you can get the compensations that you deserve.  

Investigate the Case 

Your attorney recreates the dog attack incident and carries out a thorough investigation of the dog attack. The team gathers all the evidence against the owner and proves liability in court. It conducts various investigations to find possible ways for claims where you can get the compensation that you are entitled to. 

Guide you in Further Proceedings 

A lawyer finds possible ways to file the claims against the owner. Whether you have medical coverage, a law attorney guides you for further proceedings. As there are several defenses to liabilities that owners may put, a lawyer brings legal action against the owner to prove guilty.  

Prove Dog Owner’s Accusations Wrong 

Dog owners may put various accusations of provoking the dog even if it is not their mistake. The accusations and defenses deny the claims and liabilities for the compensations. For such cases, a law attorney showcases various evidence against the owners and proves the accusations wrong with strong legal actions.   

Negotiate For Fair Compensations 

More often, the claims of dog attacks are handled by insurance companies. But, as you know, insurance companies don’t bother much and try to pay little for compensation. So, a law attorney can negotiate with the insurance companies to offer you the settlements you are entitled to. 

Take Case to Trial 

The dog bite cases never get to court until and unless they are settled by negotiating with the dog owner and insurance companies. If dog owners argue to negotiate for some reason, you can take the case to trial. The Legal professionals know how to navigate the case to get you the compensations you deserve. 

Wrapping Up 

Getting claims for the dog bite case involves a complex process. The Coleman Law Group handles every aspect of the case on your behalf and argue to prove that you were not at fault.