If a dog bit you, your child, or another family member, you might be eligible to file a personal injury insurance claim or lawsuit. If you can prove your dog bite injuries were the result of negligence, you may be able to hold the dog’s owner financially liable for your damages.
The personal injury lawyer who represents you may also guide you in calculating the types and amounts of your recoverable damages, which may include:
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Medical Bills
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Income Loss
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Property Damage
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Pain & Suffering
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Emotional Distress
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Lasting Disfigurement
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After a dog bite, you may feel overwhelmed. Maybe you have extensive injuries and medical bills. Let us help you get compensation to cover your expenses.
A lawyer with our firm in New Orleans might be able to help you prove the dog owner’s negligence and why you might be entitled to receive compensation for the injury you suffered. Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can explain your legal options for pursuing financial recovery after a dog bite during a free consultation today.
We Can Help You Like We’ve Helped Others
With more than 100 years of combined experience, we have secured over $200 million in settlements and verdicts for our clients. We specialize in helping people through their personal injury claims.
We’ve been able to recover compensation for our clients successfully. Some of these outcomes include:
- A $23,000,000 verdict for a woman’s wrongful death
- A $17,000,000 verdict for clients whose doctor(s) overcharged them
- A $7,000,000 verdict for an 18-wheeler driver who was injured
- A $5,500,000 award for a maritime worker who suffered injuries
We help our clients get them the compensation they deserve. We aggressively represent our clients in cases of personal injury, including injuries from dog bites.
Our clients have given us positive reviews as well. Our client Todd wrote:
“Courteous and punctual always polite and professional always returns calls and takes time to answer any and all questions the whole staff including the receptionists are this way!”
Lacey wrote: “They helped me when the other party’s insurance wouldn’t answer my calls! They got the job done and efficiently!”
Our Dog Bite Lawyers Work on a No-Win, No-Fee Payment Structure
You might lose hours at work and have high medical bills after being attacked by a dog. The last thing you want to do is spend money on a lawyer. Fortunately, our firm operates on a contingency fee structure, meaning:
- Your first call to us is free and comes with no obligation
- Our services cost you nothing up front
- There are no retainer or hourly fees involved
- We don’t take our payment unless you recoup your damages
Working with us is risk-free, and our payment structure allows us to start on clients’ cases right away with no financial risk to them. You have time to explore your legal options without taking a financial hit. We can answer any questions you have about payments during your free consultation.
Louisiana Dog Owners Are Responsible for Their Pets
A dog bite or attack can cause catastrophic physical damage and lead to severe emotional trauma, which might include a new or worsening fear of dogs. If you or someone you love was injured by a dog bite in New Orleans, you might be able to hold the owner of the dog financially responsible for your injuries and injury-related expenses.
CC Art. 2321 allows you to hold dog owners financially responsible for damages their animals caused if you and your lawyer can prove the owner was aware of or should have been aware of their dog’s aggressive behavior. If the owner “failed to exercise such reasonable care” to prevent their dog from harming others unprovoked, they may be held strictly liable for injuries and other related damages.
For example, if you encounter a dog at a park and the dog attacks you, the owner would be responsible if they should have had the dog on a leash.
Our lawyer serving New Orleans may be able to help you collect compensation if you or someone you love was the victim of an unprovoked dog bite. Our case review team member can review the circumstances of your dog bite case. We can start strategizing on how to build your claim or lawsuit right away.
Potential Dog Bite Damages: What Compensation Can I Get After a Dog Bite?
Dog bite injuries can lead to extensive and long-term medical treatments. Our goal is to help you get the compensation you need to cover any damages after a dog bite.
In some cases, a person’s home insurance or renter’s insurance can cover the cost of any injuries. The amount of compensation you get will depend on the severity of your injuries. You may be able to receive compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and any disfigurement.
Our team may be able to help you fight to receive compensation for the following economic and non-economic damages:
- Current and future medical expenses: Sometimes, you don’t realize the severity of a dog bite until later. Extensive medical bills can pile up after a dog bite. Compensation can help cover your emergency treatment, follow-up doctor’s visits, pain medication, hospital admissions, and corrective surgeries.
- Current and future loss of earnings: You may be unable to work for a time after your injuries. This could be while you get emergency treatment or during long-term recovery. Compensation may help to cover amounts you lost in tips, bonuses, commissions, hourly rates, and vacation benefits.
- Reduced earning capacity: You might not be able to work at the same job you did before the incident. Compensation could help cover your costs from a change in jobs or inability to work.
- Pain and suffering: A dog bite can be extremely painful. You may be able to receive compensation for physical pain. But you may also get compensation for the mental and emotional pain that you experienced.
- Disability: After the dog bite, you may end up on disability, temporarily or permanently. Compensation can help cover your disability costs.
- Wrongful death damages: If your loved one died because of a dog bite incident, you may be able to receive compensation to help cover funeral and burial costs and loss of consortium.
According to Mayo Clinic, a dog bite can leave severe and unsightly wounds that might require corrective surgery. You may be able to include the physical and emotional costs of your physical impairment or disfigurement in your claim for financial compensation.
Our personal injury team may assess your current and future injury-related expenses to reach a conclusive value of your claim. After valuing your claim, we may begin negotiating a financial settlement with the dog owner or their insurer.
Proving Negligence After a Dog Bite in New Orleans
While you focus on recovering from the physical and emotional damage of a dog bite or attack, our client care team can start working on building your case. Your case will be built on the evidence presented to the at-fault dog owner and their insurance company or legal representative.
Our personal injury team may request some or all of the following items to build your case:
- The police report
- The animal control report
- Medical records
- Medical bills
- Proof of income
- Photos of your injuries
- Witness statements
- Available video footage
- The dog’s vaccination and medical records
We want to collect the data as accurately as possible. Our goal is to gather evidence to determine the extent of damages. We want to get you any entitled compensation.
Letting Our Firm Take Charge of Your Case
In addition to searching for evidence to prove negligence, we can provide other services such as:
- Communicating with other involved parties
- Negotiating for a settlement that appropriately compensates you
- Preparing your case for trial
- Updating you regularly on your case
We encourage you to reach out to our legal team if you have any questions or concerns about your case.
Meeting Louisiana’s Statute of Limitations
Your ability to compel compensation for your damages from the at-fault dog owner is time-sensitive and subject to Louisiana’s statute of limitations. According to CC Art. 3492, you generally have one year from the date of the dog bite incident to file a lawsuit against the dog’s owner. The same timeline goes for wrongful death under CC Art. 2315.2, if your loved one lost their life from the dog bite.
By using the dates on the police report and your medical records, our team can make sure your personal injury lawsuit is filed in compliance with the state’s time restriction. Failure to file your lawsuit within the state’s deadline could forfeit your right to compensation.
The Physical Aftermath of a
Dog Bite Can Be Painful
According to the Merck Manual, a dog bite can lead to the following physical injuries:
- Risk of dangerous infection
- Pain, swelling, and redness
- Ragged, unsightly wounds
- Canine teeth puncture wounds
In some cases, dog bites can lead to disfigurement. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five people who experience a dog bite requires medical attention.
In rare cases, a dog bite might also lead to rabies. According to the Merck Manual, once rabies symptoms develop, there is no effective treatment. So, it is imperative that you seek medical attention after a dog bite injury as soon as possible.
Medical professionals can help you get the treatment you need. Make sure to follow any directions they give you. For example, take any prescribed antibiotics and follow any recommendations for pain relief or wound care. Remember, your health is the priority.
Let Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Help You With Your Dog Bite Case
Our lawyer can help you navigate the claims process if you would like to file a personal injury claim for a dog bite injury. While you concentrate on your physical recovery or helping your child or another relative through their recovery, our legal team can focus on your financial recovery.
You can reach the personal injury team at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers in our New Orleans office by phone or filling out our contact form. We welcome you to start building your compensation claim today.
Meeting Louisiana’s Statute of Limitations
Your ability to compel compensation for your damages from the at-fault dog owner is time sensitive and subject to Louisiana’s statute of limitations. According to CC Art. 3492, you generally have one year from the date of the dog bite incident to file a lawsuit against the dog’s owner. The same timeline goes for wrongful death, under CC Art. 2315.2, if your loved one lost their life from the dog bite.
By using the dates on the police report and your medical records, our team can make sure your personal injury lawsuit is filed in compliance with the state’s time restriction. Failure to file your lawsuit within the state’s deadline could forfeit your right to compensation.
The Physical Aftermath of a Dog Bite Can Be Painful
According to the Merck Manual, a dog bite can lead to the following physical injuries:
- Risk of dangerous infection
- Pain, swelling, and redness
- Ragged, unsightly wounds
- Canine teeth puncture wounds
In rare cases, a dog bite might also lead to rabies. According to the Merck Manual, once rabies symptoms develop, there is no effective treatment. So, it is imperative that you seek medical attention after a dog bite injury as soon as possible.
Let Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Help You with Your Dog Bite Case
Our lawyer can help you navigate the claims process if you would like to file a personal injury claim for a dog bite injury. While you concentrate on your physical recovery or helping your child or another relative through their recovery, our legal team can focus on your financial recovery.
You can reach the personal injury team at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers in our New Orleans office by calling (504) 777-7777. We welcome you to start building your compensation claim today.
