Dogs are a crucial part of many Wyoming, Michigan families. Dogs offer loyalty, companionship, love, and security for many households, but dogs can also be a liability. When a dog bites someone, the injuries can be severe, and even fatal. If you were attacked and bitten by someone’s dog, you know just how serious this incident can be. However, you may have legal recourse.
At Christensen law, we know just how overwhelming it can be to deal with this event. Our Wyoming dog bite lawyers have been helping injury victims since 1991, and we would like to help you get the settlement you need and deserve. When a dog bite leaves you with extraordinary medical expenses, outstanding bills, and emotional trauma, you should not have to handle it alone. Call Christensen Law for help now.
What Can a Dog Bite Lawyer Do for Wyoming Injury Victims?
Legal action takes a lot of time, money, and experience that you may not have. You could still be recovering from the physical trauma of the bite, and now you have to go back and forth with insurance companies or the dog owner. As your personal injury lawyers, we can remove many of these stressors. Here are just some of the things we can handle on your behalf:
Evaluate Your Damages and Losses
While many think of dogs as sweet family pets, the fact remains that dogs are still capable of immense harm. This is especially true if the dog bite victim is a child, as their smaller size puts them at greater risk of devastating and fatal injuries. Some of these injuries can require a lot of medical attention and greatly impact your mental well-being, and it can be hard to properly estimate the full extent of your losses.
Our lawyers will make sure to thoroughly review every single loss, both tangible and intangible, to get you the settlement you need to recover from this ordeal.
Deal With Insurance Companies
Insurers do not always want to cooperate. Insurance companies may want to try to get a statement, and they may try to trick you into admitting fault so they can deny your claim or reduce your compensation. As your personal injury lawyers, we will make sure to field any calls and communications to reduce your stress and protect your rights. Our number one priority is you, and we want to help you win so you can get your life back on track.
Not only can we handle these communications on your behalf, but we will negotiate for a settlement that meets your needs. These processes can involve a lot of back and forth as we try to find an amount that the company will agree to that will satisfy your needs. Many cases do resolve during this step, so it’s possible we may not need to take the case any further.
However, the dog owner’s insurer may not be willing to negotiate, or they are only offering amounts that will not help you fully recover. If this is the case, we will take your case to court. Please call us for a free consultation and to discuss the details of your dog bite case.
Navigating the Legal System and the Courts
Claims and lawsuits can be intimidating for dog bite victims, and our goal is to make this process as smooth as possible. Filing your dog bite lawsuit can be complicated and overwhelming, and we will take over all legal tasks so you can focus on your health. We will file all the paperwork and make sure everything is in by the necessary guidelines to make sure everything is on track.
We approach every case as though it’s going to trial, so we are no strangers to filing lawsuits and following through on our promises to go to court. When an insurer won’t cooperate, we take your case to trial and argue on your behalf. No matter where your legal journey takes us, we’re prepared to help you every step of the way.
What Compensation Can a Wyoming Dog Bite Victim Seek?
While every injury case is different, there are many common forms of compensation we can seek for you or a loved one after a dig bite. These include:
- Medical bills: Dog bites can put you in the emergency room or in the hospital for a longer stay, depending on the severity of the injury. Some of the common expenses victims have include ambulance costs, emergency room fees, doctors’ office visits, surgeries (including reconstructive surgery), antibiotics, and physical therapy, to name a few. Not only do we cover current expenses, but we make sure the other party pays for any future expenses that you may need.
- Lost income: If you are out of work while you recover, we can help you by making sure you are compensated for any lost income or wages.
- Loss of earning potential: A dog bite can be severe enough to impede your ability to go back to work or complete some of the tasks that are part of your current profession. Whether you are permanently out of work or must find a different job that you can do with your current skill set, we will seek compensation for things like lost raises, lost benefits, and other future benefits you could have received at your job.
- Emotional damages, including pain and suffering: Dog bites can leave you in intense physical pain and cause you great emotional suffering, and this form of damages aims to pay you back for some of this harm. You may also suffer from trauma that leads to PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. All of the emotional and mental anguish you are dealing with can hurt your interpersonal relationships with loved ones, and we will seek awards for that, too. Even the psychological trauma of disfigurement and scarring can be counted as a loss.
- Wrongful death damages: If a loved one passed away after a dog bite, please accept our deepest condolences. No money will make up for this terrible loss, but we can help you seek justice and pursue any financial and emotional losses associated with their passing.
We will help you seek these and other damages, so please reach out as soon as you can.
Dog Bite Lawsuits Are Time Sensitive in Michigan
If you need to file a lawsuit for damages after a dog bite attack in Michigan, please note that the state has a statute of limitations for taking legal action. Per Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 600.5805, you only have three years to file your lawsuit, otherwise you risk losing your right to seek damages.
While there are conditions that may extend, or toll, this deadline, you should contact our firm as soon as you can. We will make sure you are able to file your lawsuit, and we can get started on your case as quickly as possible.
What Is Michigan’s Dog Bite Law?
Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 287.351 outlines the state’s dog bite law. Basically, dog owners are held strictly liable for their dogs if they bite someone. The dog does not have to have a history of aggression for the owner to be held liable for the attack. With other types of personal injury cases, lawyers typically have to prove that the owner was negligent and thus liable for your harm. This dog bite law means we do not have to show negligence, only that the dog bit you.
It is important to note that owners are not liable if the victim was trespassing or was provoking the animal. Owners may try to claim that you were unlawfully on their property or that you were antagonizing the dog, but our lawyers can defend you from these and other tactics.
If you were on the person’s property as part of your state duties or federal postal duties, or were otherwise invited onto the property, you are protected by this law and the owner is liable.
What Should I Do After a Dog Bites Me in Wyoming, MI?
One of the most important things you can do after being bitten by a dog is seek medical attention. These injuries can be severe and life-threatening, especially if the victim is a child. Dog bites that break the skin can become infected, while some injuries may require surgery to save the function of the limb or extremity.
Not only does this ensure your health and safety, seeking medical attention creates a paper trail and proof of your harm. The other party may try to say you are faking your injuries, or that they are not that severe and warrant less compensation. We will use these records and expert testimonies to show the severity of your injuries.
You should also report the incident to local law enforcement and animal control to help establish records and support your claim for damages.
Call Wyoming Dog Bite Lawyers Now for Immediate Help
As soon as you are able, you should also call the Wyoming, Michigan dog bite lawyers as soon as you can. We want to help you seek the compensation you deserve, so we offer our services on a contingency fee basis. You only pay us if we win your case, so you have nothing to lose. Call us now for assistance.
