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.