Bitten By A Dog? What You Should Do ASAP
The goal of personal injury law is to ensure that those injured by someone else's negligence are able to seek and obtain financial restitution for their injuries. This restitution can help to cover the costs of any medical treatment that's needed, lost earnings for work, and more. One common reason for personal injury lawsuits is a dog bite injury. If you've been bitten by another person's dog, your actions immediately following the incident are essential to the outcome of a possible personal injury case. Here are some of the things that you need to keep in mind when you're facing the aftermath of a dog bite.
Document The Situation
One of the first things that you should do following a dog bite, and one of the things that many people forget to do, is to document the entire situation. As quickly as possible, get a picture of the dog in question, your injury before treatment, the environment, and any witnesses that may be around. These pictures can prove valuable later as you try to make your case.
In addition, ask the witnesses for their contact information so that you or your attorney can reach them later. This documentation and information will work in conjunction with the police report and other documents for the insurance company and potentially the courts if necessary.
Call The Police
Even if the dog bite seems as though it's minor, you should still call the police to file a report and get the incident on the record. This is essential no matter what your situation because you can't be sure that you won't need to file a claim. Especially since complications can arise later, it's important that you have the incident documented by law enforcement.
Reach Out To A Lawyer
You don't need to be severely injured by a dog bite to benefit from a lawyer. In fact, it's in your best interest to retain an attorney as soon as possible after an injury like this. Even if you don't necessarily anticipate a legal claim against the dog owner, it's best to be prepared. In fact, you should also direct all communication from the dog's owner and their insurance company to your attorney. That way, you don't inadvertently say something that could hurt your case.
These are some of the most important things to know about the aftermath of a dog bite. Talk with a personal injury attorney today for more help and information about your claim.
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