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State law requires dog owners in Michigan to protect others from their pets. Thus, if a dog bites you, their owner likely owes you compensation for medical care, psychological trauma, lost income, and other damages you’ve experienced. A Sterling Heights dog bite lawyer from Christensen Law will seek a fair financial recovery for you.
Each dog bite victim suffered both economic and noneconomic harm from the incident. A personal injury lawyer from our team serving Sterling Heights will compassionately determine your damages and lead your case.
Dog Bite-Related Damages Our Sterling Heights Team Will Fight to Recoup
When we work with a dog bite victim, we must consider:
- The physical pain and fear they suffered because of the bite.
- The medical care they needed for the wound.
- The potential for infection.
- The secondary effects of the bite (including financial losses).
Our team will speak with you, your doctors, and our experts as we value your damages. Then, we will seek compensation for all bite-related damages, including the following:
- Emergency medical expenses: If you require stitches, surgery, hospitalization, or other emergency medical care, we will demand that liable parties cover these services. We’ll also consider medical imaging, follow-up care, rehabilitation, and other bite-related medical services.
- Cosmetic expenses: If you need cosmetic procedures for bite-related scarring, we’ll include the surgery costs in your claim.
- Pain and suffering: Dog bites can cause severe physical pain, anxiety, depression, scarring (and related self-image problems), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thus, our attorneys work with psychiatrists, doctors, and other experts to identify and value clients’ bite-related pain and suffering.
- Counseling and medications: If you undergo counseling, take medication, or address pain and suffering in any way, we’ll seek compensation for your mental health treatment.
- Lost income: If a dog bite in Sterling Heights prevents you from working, we’ll consider lost income, bonuses, and other professional damages.
Finally, we will monitor your recovery closely, as the risk of infection may linger after your initial medical care. Your dog bite lawyer from Christensen Law wants you to recover without a single concern about the cost of care. We will demand that liable parties in Sterling Heights pay the economic and noneconomic cost of the dog attack—that’s the just outcome you deserve.
How Your Dog Bite Lawyer from Christensen Law Will Help
We have helped dog bite victims get justice for unprovoked attacks since 1991. We will lead every step of your case in Sterling Heights, taking on these tasks on your behalf.
Establishing the Dog Owner’s Liability
Michigan Compiled Laws § 287.351 states that a dog owner is liable when their dog:
- Attacks a person on public property.
- Attacks a person who is lawfully on private property (including the dog owner’s property).
The statute further says that the owner must cover the victim’s damages “regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness.”
To establish the owner’s liability (or the liability of another party), we must prove:
- You were legally on the property where the bite happened.
- You did nothing to provoke the attack.
Documenting and Calculating Your Bite-Related Damages
We will gather all available evidence of your damages, which may include the following:
- Medical bills
- A doctor’s diagnosis of your injuries
- Photographs and medical images of your injuries
- Your account of the fear and distress you experienced during the attack
- A mental health expert’s testimony about the psychological and emotional toll of the dog bite
- An employer’s testimony that you can’t fulfill your work duties
- Income statements proving your lost income
We will identify all your damages, seek proof of each, and then present it to the at-fault party in our demand letter seeking compensation.
Negotiating a Settlement with Liable Parties
Christensen Law will negotiate a settlement on your behalf. Depending on your unique circumstances, we may demand compensation from a dog owner, their insurer, or other liable parties.
Filing and Completing a Lawsuit
Suppose we present all the evidence and documentation to the liable parties, and they still won’t settle your claim for an amount that adequately compensates all your losses. We’re prepared for this possibility and will file a personal injury lawsuit within Michigan’s three-year statute of limitations to seek compensation in court.
So, let us handle every detail of your case, including paperwork and communication. Our attorneys, investigators, experts, and paralegals work together to resolve your claim, and we won’t settle for anything less than you deserve.
Why Dog Bite Victims in Sterling Heights Turn to Christensen Law
Christensen Law is a legal team that gets to know our clients before we seek justice. Only by understanding you can we appreciate the effects of a dog bite on your life. Our compassionate, patient brand of legal service sets our firm apart from our competitors.
You may choose Christensen Law to lead your dog bite case in Sterling Heights because:
- Our decades of experience representing dog bite victims in Michigan have prepared us to represent you.
- We work with doctors who frequently see dog bites and understand how to diagnose your injury and project the cost of your medical care.
- We have recovered many multi-million-figure awards for clients, including both settlements and jury verdicts.
- We prepare every case like it’s headed to trial, so we won’t miss a beat if liable parties don’t settle fairly.
We consider our clients’ problems to be our problems. You will sense from our urgency to resolve your case and the respect and compassion we show that Christensen Law has a personal stake in your case. Our firm intends to secure the financial recovery you deserve. Anything less is a failure.
Call Christensen Law Today for a Free Consultation About Your Dog Bite Case
Your dog bite lawyer from Christensen Law is ready to get to work. We need to document your damages, secure all relevant evidence, assess your case, and work to resolve your matter as soon as possible. Our offices are conveniently located near Sterling Heights, so we won’t delay in beginning your case.
Call Christensen Law today for a free consultation. There are no costs or obligations to hire our firm, so place the call today.
