Some dog bites can be minor, and others may be deep and cause intense pain for the victims. As such, dog owners are responsible for monitoring their dogs, training them, and ensuring they’re vaccinated.
If someone else’s dog has bitten you, you might be entitled to compensation from the owner. It’s in your best interest to reach out to a dog bite lawyer to represent you in the case and ensure you get justice.
How a Cade Dog Bite Lawyer Can Help Your Case
Hiring a lawyer can help level the playing field, and you may have a better chance of recovering compensation for all damages incurred.
A Cade dog bite lawyer can take charge of your case and help in the following ways:
- Gather evidence needed to prove liability in the case
- Interview witnesses present at the scene and record their statements
- Obtain medical records and police reports associated with your case
- Calculate all damages incurred to ensure that all losses are covered
- Decide the best time to file a claim
- Consult expert witnesses
- Handle all communications with the defendant’s team
- Negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf
- Represent you in a court trial if a settlement isn’t reached
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Common Dog Bite Injuries
Dog bites usually result in different kinds of injuries, including the following:
- Hand Injuries: These injuries usually lead to swelling and prevent victims from conducting daily duties.
- Puncture Wounds: Most dog bites puncture the skin, resulting in bleeding and severe infections.
- Facial and Neck Injuries: Sometimes, dogs attack the face and neck. These injuries are widespread among children.
- Nerve Damage: Some dog bites can cause permanent nerve damage around the affected area, especially when not treated in time.
- Rabies and Tetanus: Dog bites can inflict tetanus and even infect some victims with rabies. This deteriorates a victim’s health and can easily lead to death.
- Avulsions: During an attack, a dog can easily rip out the flesh from your body, leading to permanent tissue damage.
- Crushing Injuries: Some dogs have powerful jaws that can crush a victim’s bones during an attack.
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Proving Liability in a Dog Bite Case
Under Louisiana law, a dog owner is usually responsible for all damages caused by their dog. However, the dog owner may only be accountable for these damages if it’s established that they had prior knowledge that the dog was dangerous and didn’t exercise reasonable care to prevent the attack.
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Potential Defenses in a Dog Bite Case
There are some potential defenses that the dog owner might use to shift liability to you to avoid paying compensation, including:
- Trespassing: You may not recover damages if the dog attacked you while you were trespassing on someone else’s property.
- Provocation: The dog owner may argue that you provoked the dog, thus causing the attack. Provocation includes teasing or threatening the dog using aggressive gestures.
- Assumption of Risk: The dog owner may also argue that they warned regarding the dog, and you ignored their warnings.
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Recoverable Damages in a Dog Bite Case
If you win a dog bite case, you might recover both economic and non-economic damages, including:
- Past, present, and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Lost earning capacity
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of limbs
What You Should If a Dog Bites You
Dealing with the aftermath of a dog bite can be overwhelming for most people. You may be unsure of what to do after being attacked by a dog. The following are the steps you could take to protect your health and legal rights:
Seek Medical Attention Immediately
Dog bites, even the smallest ones, can be infectious. Therefore, regardless of the size of the dog bite, ensure that you seek medical attention immediately so that your wounds can be cleaned and sewn up. You should never shrug off seeking medication because some dog bites can be fatal if left untreated.
Follow the Wound-cleaning Instructions
Since a dog bite can easily result in severe infection, you should heed your doctor’s advice. You should change the bandages regularly, take antibiotics as prescribed, and clean the wounds as per the doctor’s instructions.
Report the Incident to Animal Control
Many states require victims of dog attacks to report the incident to the local animal control department as soon as possible. Therefore, after the dog attack, ensure that you find the department’s phone number and report it to them. After doing so, the local animal control department can conduct a thorough investigation and create a report.
This report can indicate the dog’s vaccination status and whether it’s secured or not. The report can also show the dog’s actual owner so that you know who to hold accountable for your injuries.
Identify Witnesses and Document the Incident
If witnesses are at the scene, ensure that you get their names, phone numbers, and addresses.
If you have a cellphone or camera, ensure that you take pictures of your injuries, even if you unwrap the gauze. These pictures are valuable for backing up the witnesses’ testimonies and strengthening your insurance claim.
Contact a Lawyer
The legal matters surrounding dog bite cases can be complex and tedious, especially if it’s your first time going through the claim process. Therefore, having a dog bite lawyer on your side can help protect your legal rights and get you justice.
Contact Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for Legal Help
If you’ve recently been bitten by a dog in Cade and would like to recover compensation, ensure that you reach out to Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for legal advice. We can help you put together a strong case against the liable parties and ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. Call us today for a free consultation to get started.
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