After dog bites, safety first—and then action
Do you know what to do after being bitten by a dog? Taking the appropriate steps to handle your injury can mean the difference between a manageable recovery and serious medical complications. Worse, your actions could impact your quest to secure compensation for the injury and inconvenience. If you’re bitten by a dog under any circumstances, keep these important tips in mind in the subsequent hours and days.
Medical Bills
This may be your most pressing concern in the aftermath of a dog bite. Dog bites can produce medical bills for surgeries, long hospitalizations, expensive medications, and other costly line items. Often, these bills come from multiple providers and may be difficult to track in real time. By working with an experienced attorney, you can ensure that you secure compensation for all of the attendant medical bills that your injury produces.
Lost Income
If your dog bite results in a significant layoff from work, you could be entitled to compensation for lost income. An attorney can help you calculate a fair value for your lost productivity, including the long-term economic cost of an injury that renders you unable to perform your pre-injury job duties.
Pain and Suffering
If your injury causes substantial pain and suffering, you could be entitled to this special type of compensation that accounts for your mental and physical discomfort. It’s important to retain an experienced attorney to advocate on your behalf.
Loss of Services
It might sound almost scandalous, but “loss of services” is a very real concept. In certain jurisdictions, it’s possible to sue the owner or caretaker of a dog in the event that the bite rendered the victim incapable of providing companionship or intimacy to his or her spouse. These awards can be substantial.
Punitive Damages
If you can prove that your dog bite was the result of willful negligence or malice, you may be entitled to punitive damages that can significantly increase your total compensation. Also, keep in mind that Wisconsin law states that a victim of a dog bite is entitled to double damages if the dog has bitten someone before. However, it’s difficult to argue for punitive damages without the assistance of an attorney.
Find a Personal Injury Lawyer with Dog Bite Experience in Neenah and Appleton, WI
We sincerely hope that you’ll never have to deal with a rampaging dog or the aftermath of an encounter with one. However, there are plenty of dogs in the world. Occasionally, out-of-control animals cause serious problems for innocent bystanders. To learn more about your legal options in the aftermath of a dog bite, give us a call at (920) 720-0000 or fill out our online contact form at your convenience.