Dog Bite Damages – Medical Bills after a Dog Bite

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Dog Bite Damages – Medical Bills after a Dog Bite

Medical bills can rack up pretty quickly after a dog bite incident. The law allows for accident victims to recover damages against the parties that harmed them. Basically what that means is that if someone hurts you, they have to pay you enough money to put you back into the level of happiness that you were in before they hurt you. Obviously this is not the case for any injury that occurs. An injured victim must be able to prove a case for negligence. That basically means that you have to show that it was entirely the other person’s fault that you got hurt. The law is designed this way so that people will be more careful. It would be terrible if everyone could just go around hurting each other and no one had to take the personal responsibility to pay for it. Before a dog bit you, you did not have painful lacerations on your arms and legs. Before a dog bit you, you were able to run and jump and go about your normal day as opposed to being forced to visiting your doctor several times and constantly treating and bandaging your lacerations and abrasions to make sure that they are healing properly and that they are not infected so you can avoid permanent impairments. Before a dog bit you, you were not afraid of dogs. You did not feel uncomfortable every time you took a jog in the park. The homeowners insurance of the owner of the dog that bit you cannot go back in time and take the dog bite away, but they can pay you an amount that compensates you for your losses.

Medical bills are the first part of a dog bite damage equation. Typically, the higher the medical bills are, the higher the total amount of damages will be. That is certainly not always the case, but it is illustrative of the general rule. Medical bills are a part of what is referred to as special damages. Special damages are those harms that can be precisely calculated. If a dog mauls you while trying to get in your car and go to work and you miss work that day as a result, your wages from that day will be added as part of the special damages. Doctor’s visits are extremely expensive. Your health insurance may step up and pay those bills initially, but they too are entitled to be reimbursed by the at-fault party. A vicious dog can inflict several thousand dollars worth of medical damage in only a few seconds.

General damages are different from special damages in that they have no precise value. We are forced to do our best to simply assign a fair value to them. Physical pain and suffering entitles one to general damages. Emotional distress such as fear and anxiety of running in the park would also entitle a victim to recover general damages. These damages are extremely difficult to value. An experienced dog bite lawyer can give you extremely valuable insight as to what your general damages should be. Attempting to negotiate your claim on your own will almost always result in you being undercompensated. Don’t be a victim twice, contact a Utah Dog Bite Lawyer today.

Can I Shoot a Dog that Bites Me?

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Can I Shoot a Dog that Bites Me?

Both during and after dog bite incidences, people are angry and scared. Many people wonder if they are allowed to use deadly force such as a gun against a dangerous dog. After all, isn’t that just self-defense? Self-Defense is a legal principle that most people can get behind. If we are being attacked, we expect that we can do what is necessary to defend ourselves. The principle of self defense does have limits though. A person typically is not legally allowed to respond with deadly force when only a small amount of force would have stopped the attack. Some might argue that it is impossible to predict how an attacker will react to our self-defense, so deadly force is always justified. It is easy to illustrate why that is not always true by using the example of the angry old lady. If there was a disagreement at the grocery store, and an old lady attempted to hit you with her purse, you would be justified in not only dodging the blow, but also perhaps in ripping the purse out of her hands. However, you would not be justified in retaliating against the women with a deadly assault. That would no longer be self-defense. You can only defend yourself and your family with means that are somewhat reasonable given the circumstances. The fact that the attacker was not even a human only further complicates this complex issue.

Animal rights activists would argue that a dog is incapable of fully calculating the consequences of its behavior, therefore, a dog should not be subject to being shot for bad behavior. Others might argue that because the dog is not capable of making human decisions, it should not receive the same self-defense safeguard that humans receive, meaning that deadly force should be allowed in any self-defense situation.

The State of Utah is generally not extremely forgiving of dangerous animals. That general theme holds true with state laws regarding using deadly force against a dog. Utah statutes dictate that a person may shoot a dog under a variety of circumstances without being subject to criminal or civil liability. Any dog that is attacking or even worrying or chasing any other animal may be shot. This means that you may be legally allowed to defend not only yourself but also your animals, with deadly force. The biting does not even have to have commenced. If you were walking your dog, and a vicious dog approached, and it growled and barked at your dog and chased it down the street; technically if you were carrying a firearm you may be justified in using that firearm to defend your dog.

With regard to defending a human being, Utah state law takes things even further. If a dog has bitten you or another person, and it has since retreated, if it is still on the loose and still a danger to others, you may be able to pursue the dog. Once the dog is back in the custody of its owner, and the situation has been controlled, do not show up at your neighbor’s door brandishing a weapon. That is a very foolish way of handling things and the problem will likely escalate very quickly. You will likely incur civil and criminal liability. If the dog is no longer a danger, do not shoot the dog. You should instead inform animal control, if that dog has been previously documented as a vicious dog, animal control may forcibly take the dog and have it put down in an effort to prevent future attacks. These laws should put all dog owners on notice. To allow your dog to freely roam the neighborhood is to subject your dog to an incredible amount of risk and could potentially result in the death of your dog. If you have questions regarding what to do after a dog attack, contact a dog bite attorney for a free consultation.

If I Hire a Lawyer, Will the Dog that Bit me be Put Down?

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If I Hire a Lawyer, Will the Dog that Bit me be Put Down?

When you have been bitten by a dog, a natural reaction is to desire that the dog be put down. Some people wish for this to happen because they are legitimately concerned that the dog may attack again. Others may desire that the dog be put down simply because they seek vengeance on the animal that harmed them or a loved one. Still other people may desperately not want the animal to be put down and they may fear that if they call the police or a dog bite lawyer that the dog will be put down. In reality this is not the case. Hiring a dog bite lawyer will not ensure that the dog is put down. It will also not ensure that the dog remains alive. The truth is that the dog bite lawyer has almost nothing to do with this chain of events. The lawyer’s primary concern will be to help you get your medical bills paid. The lawyer will work with the appropriate homeowners insurance company to compensate you for the variety of evils that have befallen you because of the dog attack.

You can always ask a dog owner to have their animal put down, but the decision will remain theirs until a legal standard has been met. Most owners will understandably want to keep their dogs. A dog can be an extremely loving companion. There can certainly be circumstances under which a safe and loving dog may bite a person or another animal. Perhaps the dog felt threatened, or felt that its owner was threatened? A protective instinct is a very desirable trait in a family pet. A quick motion from a stranger can leave an animal feeling strengthened and painted into a corner. Understanding and mercy should be shown to animals under these circumstances. There can also be circumstances under which the owner should at least consider having the dog put down. Those instances are more extreme circumstances such as when the dog habitually endangers people and other animals. Once a dog has proven a propensity to be violent to others, a decision to get rid of the dog becomes more tolerable. Again, choosing to have your pet put down is an extremely difficult decision and it should only be done as a last resort to protect others.

There is no standard state law in the State of Utah as to the circumstances under which a dog may be forcibly taken and put down. The laws vary from city to city. In St. George, Utah, the law is that any dog may be forcibly taken and put down if it has been documented to be involved in a violent attack on three separate occasions. The laws in St. George are written with the intent to remove dogs that cannot be controlled by their owners and dogs that have shown that they will harm others in the future.

These laws illustrate the importance of reporting dog bites to the authorities. The law will not be able to accomplish its goal of keeping dangerous and uncontrolled dogs away from others if stray dogs and dog attacks are never reported. If a dog has bitten you, contact a dog bite lawyer. He or she can instruct you as to the other necessary steps to take to help you recover from your injuries.

Will my Neighbor Hate me if I Hire a Lawyer After a Dog Bite?

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Will my Neighbor Hate me if I Hire a Lawyer After a Dog Bite?

The citizens of the great State of Utah are generally extremely amicable. Most of us know many of our neighbors. People in Utah have a very strong sense of community. We spend a great deal of time at social gatherings and we very much value relationships with our friends and neighbors in our local community. A dog bite incident can quickly cause distrust and strife between individuals who once were close. There is a common assumption that hiring a dog bite lawyer will further the tension and will damage relationships. That assumption is absolutely false. Most disagreements in life are based on miscommunication. Communication is never a bad thing when it is done in the right way. How can the parties involved in a dog bite incident be expected to communicate their wishes well one with another when they have no idea what the laws of the State of Utah are in regard to dog bites? Misunderstanding the law and the rights and responsibilities of the various parties leaves people completely unsure about what to expect. Even reasonable and intelligent people can easily disagree with one another when they are both shooting from the hip (merely stating their opinions) and neither really knows what is right.  By contacting a dog bite attorney, you can be quickly educated on what the state expects to happen when a dog bites a person. That knowledge and understanding can alleviate an awful lot of tension when you approach your neighbor to discuss how the situation should be handled.

The other major advantage of accepting a free consultation with a dog bite lawyer is that your lawyer will instruct you about the homeowners insurance claim process. Homeowners are required by their banks to pay for homeowners insurance. That insurance is there to protect the homeowner in the case of a disaster. The family dog attacking a neighbor is exactly the kind of disaster that homeowners insurance is there to pay for. When you contact a lawyer after a dog bite, the lawyer will work directly with the dog owner’s homeowners insurance. The homeowner will likely not pay anything out of pocket to cover your damages. The homeowner will likely never even be in contact with you attorney. The entire process becomes a step removed and alleviates any need for direct confrontation between the victim and the dog owner.

The worst thing that you can do after being bitten by a dog is to take matters into your own hands. Dog attacks are extremely scary. They cause a great deal of anxiety and anger. Things typically do not turn out well when people rush to decisions while they are angry. Victims of dog bites should fight the urge to return violence with violence. Physical force should only be used against the aggressive dog to the extent that it is necessary to eliminate the danger of the situation and to prevent future harm.

To not hire a dog bite lawyer is to be victimized twice. Your own family should come first. A dog bite injury can having lasting physical and emotional effects. Hiring a Utah dog bite lawyer is the only way to ensure that you are fully compensated for what has happened to you.

Does My Home Owners’ Insurance Policy Cover My Dog?

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Does My Home Owners’ Insurance Policy Cover My Dog?

The short answer is yes- probably, but it depends. Your homeowner’s insurance likely covers liability for all damages caused by your dog. So there is no need to ad insult to injury by being a jerk to your neighbor after your dog bites them. Instead, take the responsibility that is yours under Utah law and don’t worry- your insurance will cover everything. This is why you pay for insurance- in case something goes wrong.

Insurance is extremely important. You should always have a detailed conversation with a good insurance agent prior to choosing your insurance plan. Homeowners insurance and renters insurance are not exceptions to that rule. These policies will cover costly damage to your property; they will also usually cover theft of items that were stored in your insured property. An overlooked aspect of these types of insurance policies is the liability portion of the policy. Homeowners and renters alike have the ability to buy liability coverage so that they will be protected in the event that another person is hurt either on your property, or by your property. Homeowners insurance will always include some amount of liability coverage, but it is up to the consumer to educate himself or herself about the different amounts of liability coverage that can be purchased under their insurance policy. These liability policies will almost always include damages caused by the family pet such as a dog. Even where these types of damages are specially excluded, supplemental insurance can be purchased elsewhere. The great part for homeowners is that these policies that cover damage caused by your dog will also usually cover damage caused by your dog that does not even occur on your insured property.

There is a growing trend among homeowners insurance companies today to list dog bites as specific exclusions. Exclusions are things that are explicitly not covered by the insurance policy. It is of vital importance that you take the time to go over your exclusions with your insurance agent prior to choosing your homeowners insurance. If dog bites have been excluded, you should probably not own a dog. Dog bite laws can make claims extremely expensive and you will be left solely liable for any and all damages caused by your dog if dog bites are listed in the exclusion section of your policy. You should especially not purchase a Pit Bull or a Rottweiler if you find yourself in such a situation. Those breeds of dog can be particularly dangerous and therefore costly to you. In fact, these breeds of dog are so hazardous that many homeowners insurance policies will have breed-specific exclusions. Breed specific exclusions are exclusions of only certain dangerous breeds such as Pitt Bulls and Rottweilers. If you find yourself owning a dangerous dog, and your insurance company excludes your breed, there is yet another option to explore.

Today there are third party private insurance companies that are in the business of offering insurance specifically for pets. These types of policies can be purchased for only a few hundred dollars per year because they only apply to pets so the risk each year is minimal. They typically cover both injuries to your dog that require veterinary services as well as damage caused by your dog in the form of liability protection. That few hundred dollars per year can buy you several hundred thousand dollars worth of liability coverage. If you own a dangerous breed, I certainly recommend looking into one of these supplemental policies.

Many policies of both homeowners insurance and renters insurance have a liability limit of $100,000 in the State of Utah. That means that any damages over the first $100,000 will need to be paid by the homeowner. Insurance agents will advise you that if you own a medium or large sized dog, you should pay a little extra to up your liability limits to something more in the ballpark of $300,000. After all, what is the point of having insurance if it does not leave you feeling secure?

If you have been injured by a dog, contact a Utah Dog Bite Lawyer immediately. He or she can assist you in navigating through the treacherous claims process and can ensure that you will be fairly compensated for your loss.

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