Dog Bites and Animal Attacks in Chandler
by Chandler Dog Bite Lawyers - Mark Breyer
As Chandler AZ dog bite attorneys, it is important that you understand the statute of limitations in dog bite claims as well as what to do when you are injured in a dog attack.
How to care for your injuries by a dog attack
If you are attacked by a dog, it is important to seek medical care right away. Many of our clients when bit sustained very serious injury so getting medical attention is not an issue. Generally if you have sustained a serious injury by a dog bite, you will be taken to the emergency room by ambulance, by a family member, or by friends. Many bites happen when you are visiting a family friend or co-worker or are at the house of someone you know. If you have been bit by a dog, it is important the dog immediately be separated from the victim. Many dogs will bite an individual because the dog feels as though the person is invading their territory. Dogs are very protective of their homeowner and their home.
Call the police if you have been attacked by a dog
If you have sustained serious injury by a dog attack, it is important to make sure that the dog is quarantined. The police will come down or the local animal control to the scene of the dog attack. Depending on the seriousness of the dog bite, they will decide whether or not to take the dog or let the dog stay with the homeowner. Most likely, the animal control will take the dog.
Caring for your dog bite injuries
If you do not have to go to the hospital for your injuries, it is still important to make sure that you care for your wounds. If the dog bite broke through the skin, it is important to clean the wound with soap and water. Do not let any soap remain on the wound as this can cause an infection from the bite. After you clean out the wound, it is important to cover the wound with a material that is clean and comfortable. During the next week, continue to monitor the wound and look for swelling or redness. Continued swelling or redness could mean that the area is infected. For a dog bite case, it is important to have photographs and medical documentation of your injuries caused by the bite. Therefore, we would advise you to seek medical care from a doctor to make sure that your injury will not be more serious than you think. Many doctors opine that if wounds are not taken care of correctly that infections can ensue and cause very serious injuries.
When you leave the hospital from a dog bite attack
If you are unfortunate enough to be seriously injured by a dog attack and have had to go to the hospital, it is important that you seek follow up medical care. For many victims this is not an issue as they may have had surgery from the attack or required plastic surgery. Many attacks require a plastic surgeon. As Chandler dog bite attorney, we have helped many clients that have needed skin grafts from their injuries. Generally, when you have had skin grafts from a bite or have needed help from a plastic surgeon, you will probably need future plastic surgery. Helping victims collect for future medical bill is something we make sure is compensated to the dog bite victim.
How do Chandler dog bite lawyers handle your injury claim?
When it comes to dog bite injuries, experienced injury lawyers can help you obtain the maximum settlement for your injuries. There are many things that the best attorneys can do to make sure that you will achieve the best settlement for your injury claim. Some of the things that personal injury lawyers will do for you in your claim including the following:
- Ascertain the applicable insurance for the bite
- Gather witness statements for those who were at the scene of the attack
- Take photographs of the wounds
- Speak to doctors regarding the medical care needed for the injuries
- Hire experts who can testify to future medical bills needed for the medical care of the victim
- Dog bites have a very short statute of limitations.
- Many times the owner may deny liability. Experienced dog attack attorneys will help prove that the dog bit the injury victim.
- Many times the insurance company will argue that the dog bite did not cause the injuries claimed by the victim. Injury lawyers will help prove that the injuries claimed by the victim were as a result of the bite.
- Dog owners sometimes claim that the animal was provoked by the victim. Dog bite lawyers need to put all the evidence together to show the insurance company that the dog was not provoked and it was not the victim's fault that the dog attacked the individual.
- Help you get the best settlement possible for your injury.
Dog bite law for victims in Chandler, Arizona
Typically the statute of limitations for a dog bite injury claim in Chandler is as little as one year. If you do not file a lawsuit for your bite injury within one year, you will most likely give up certain advantages of the law. The law in Arizona is called strict liability if you file a lawsuit within one year. If you do not file your lawsuit within one year you will lose certain advantages laid out in the law for those who file the lawsuit within one year. This does not mean to file a claim within a year. Filing a claim with an insurance company is much different than file a lawsuit with the Court.
Do you need a lawyer for your dog bite claim?
If you have received a minor injury from a dog bite chances are you do not need a lawyer to help you. If you have received superficial scrapes and bruises this is not something that you mostly likely need an attorney. If you have been seriously injured in a dog attack; however, then there are a lot of reasons why you will want to hire an experienced lawyer to help you with your injury claim. The above was a brief list of all of the things that the best personal injury attorney can do to help you with your dog bite claim.
What most people do not realize is that insurance companies do not offer the best offers to victims who are not represented. Insurance companies are out to make a profit. The insurance adjustor knows that the victim does not know anything about Arizona dog bite law and knows that the victim most likely does not know how to file a proper lawsuit to protect his/her rights. Studies have shown by insurance companies themselves that victims who hire lawyers receive a much higher settlement than if they had not had a lawyer. In fact, studies show that victims who hire personal injury attorneys have received far higher settlements even considering the amount charged by an attorney. Therefore, it is advantageous for victims of dog bite injuries who are seriously injured to contact a lawyer to help pursue their injury claim.
Why call the Husband And Wife Law Team to help you with your dog bite claim?
If you have been seriously injured we are experienced dog bite lawyers who can help you on your claim. We will not charge you anything until your case is settled. We charge on a contingency fee basis which means that we do not ask you to pay anything at all to our office. We get paid by the insurance company out of the settlement. We only get paid when we win.
Mark Breyer, is a Chandler personal injury attorney, along with his wife, Alexis Breyer, commonly known as The Husband And Wife Law Team. The team has been recognized by a subsection of the Arizona Tribune as the Best Law Firm. Mark Breyer has received awards For Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona and is an expert in injury and wrongful death law. We have handled dog bite claims for years and understand what it takes to win your injury claim.
Call today and get all your questions answered. The initial consultation is free and again we do not get paid until the case is settled.
