After being injured by a dog bite attack in the State of Florida, it doesn’t take long for bills and medical costs to build up. Lost wages, treatment costs, and mental trauma can be a nasty mix of things to deal with by yourself, and it is normal to feel slightly overwhelmed.
The good news? There are people waiting to take the burden from your shoulders. A personal injury lawyer from The Law Place to win the compensation that you deserve and fight tooth and nail for your dog bite claim.
We have over seventy-five years of combined knowledge and experience in helping those who have suffered injuries in a dog bite case all over the State of Florida with great success. Our team know all of the complexities surrounding dog bite law and are ready to step in, dealing with all your paperwork, speaking to the relevant parties on your behalf, and building an air-tight case in the event that the other party does not settle out of court.
Following the dog bite, you may be wondering how long it takes to settle a dog bite claim. Well, this depends on the situation. Your attorney will be able to give you a better idea of this, so get in touch as quickly as possible.
It’s simple, pick up the phone and give us a call here at The Law Place. We can give immediate legal advice at the scene or arrange a free consultation for us to evaluate your case. The phone lines are always manned, every day of every week, all year round.
Contact us now at (941) 444-4444 to schedule a free consultation. We will fight your accident case together in the State of Florida.
How Long Does the Insurance Company Have to Settle a Claim in Florida?
The period of time that it will take for your insurance company to settle your dog bite claim will depend on the circumstances involved in your specific incident. There are lots of factors to look at with a case like this, such as whether the dog has previous bad behavior or the location the bite happened.
For a more complicated dog bite case, such as those that require a lawsuit, it could take a whole year, or even longer, to resolve. The process to agree on a settlement could become even more complicated when there are injuries that require long-term medical treatment in the State of Florida.
What Should I Do if I’ve Been Bitten By a Dog?
If you have just been involved in a dog bite attack, then the very first and most important thing to do when you are safe is called the emergency services. The police will be able to help you if the owner of the dog is still aggressive, and they will also file a police report which can later be used as evidence in court. If the other party is going to dispute your claim, this evidence may be crucial in settling your dog bite claim. The police will take the other party’s contact details in person, meaning there is less chance of the other party giving you fake details before disappearing.
If you have a serious injury, you should call for medical help first. Inform them that you need both the police and medical aid, and they will do the rest. Seeking medical aid if you are injured is another crucial step. Many dog bite injuries can fester and lead to disease, even if they only seem mild at the time.
Medical aid isn’t just for your health either. A record that you have received medical attention for your injury is another way that you can present evidence of your dog bite claim.
Once you have dealt with your health and the police, now is the perfect time to get in touch with your legal representation. They can give immediate helpful advice that will enable you to take the best steps to ensure you have the best chances of a successful claim.
Call The Law Place today for a free review of your case and find out how much money you may be entitled to.
How Much Is the Average Dog Bite Settlement?
It is impossible to give a figure for a dog bite claim settlement as they are so complex and variable from case to case. With such complex claims, the amount you may be awarded will depend entirely upon the situation and circumstances around the incident.
In figures from The Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, there are nearly 4.5 million dog bites every single year, and compensation will depend upon:
- How severe your injuries are.
- How high the costs for the medical treatment necessary to treat the injury are.
- How much income the victim lost due to the accident.
- The psychological trauma suffered as a result of the attack.
At The Law Place, we offer a free consultation and case evaluation. This is so we can evaluate your case in a stress-free environment without any strings attached. This means you can make a decision that isn’t influenced by us on whether or not to proceed.
Call us today to find out how much money you could be owed for your dog bite claim.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience
How Is a Dog Bite Claim Settled?
The calculations involved in assigning a compensation value to your claim is another complex task and should always be left to a skilled, experienced attorney, hopefully, one with a number of dog bite cases under their belt. Dog bite claims are often settled without the need for a court case between your attorney and the insurance company of the other party. Your attorney will put a value to your claim and ask for that amount from the other party in a settlement.
If you agree to this amount and both you and your attorney believe that it is reasonable and fair, you will be able to accept without the need for a long-drawn-out legal battle.
Sometimes the other party will not accept the settlement or will deny liability at all. In these situations, you will be thankful that you hired a skilled dog bite attorney as they will be able to present the air-tight case they have built for you in the courtroom, convincing the judge and jury you deserve what you say you deserve.
It is worth bearing in mind that Florida is a strict liability state. This means that a dog owner can be held liable for the actions of their dog, even if the dog has no history of biting or aggression.
At The Law Place, we have dealt with numerous dog bite cases before, and this means we know exactly how to proceed with your case. We will take the right steps and complete the due diligence to ensure that your case is strong enough to win a settlement out of court or, in the worst case, strong enough to win a legal battle inside the courtroom.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers.
When Should I Sue for a Dog Bite Injury?
After being involved in a dog attack, victims are often too traumatized and emotionally unstable to make clear-headed decisions. This may mean that the victim does not seek the help of a legal attorney in a timely manner. The longer you leave it before getting in touch with an attorney in a situation like this, the harder it is for them to collect the evidence necessary to create the strongest possible case.
Under Florida Statue 95.11, you have 4 years from any personal injury accident to make a claim before you are barred from making a claim relating to that specific accident. However, you should never wait this long as the evidence will be extremely hard to dig up after this period of time. Personal injury cases are always more successful when they are filed immediately after the accident.
Damages That Can Be Claimed After Sustaining a Dog Bite Injury
It isn’t just the mental and physical suffering that you will have to deal with following a dog bite injury. There will also be medical bills and monetary damages that you might face. These damages can be recovered.
Our team of attorneys has a lot of experience in dealing with personal injury cases just like yours, and this means we know exactly how to access the damages you should claim for. We can also claim for pain and suffering damages which are damages that have no strict monetary value, such as loss of enjoyment or the development of phobias.
The main damages you might be able to claim for following a dog bite injury include:
- Medical bills – After a dog bite injury, it is extremely important that you seek medical aid due to the nature of the injury and the chance of infection or disease. All your medical bills, including transport to the hospital, prescription, and therapy, are claimable for both the past and the future.
- Lost wages – After a trauma like this, it is likely that you may have to take time off work to recover. If this leads to a loss of wages, then you will be able to seek compensation for your losses, future, past, and present.
Contact The Law Place Today
No one should have to deal with the aftermath of a dog attack alone. With emotional trauma, bills, and expenses, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Here at The Law Place, we want to help. We will take your case, unburden your shoulders and give you the room to breathe, recover and repair. We do the hard work, taking over the paperwork the liaising with other parties, and we will fight for your case to our fullest ability.
We understand the complexities surrounding Florida’s personal injury law and have dealt with and won cases just like yours in the past.
Our phone lines are always open! Call us at (941) 444-4444 for a free consultation with a leading attorney at our firm and find out how much compensation you may be entitled to.