Should I contact a Lawyer ?

Dog bites can happen without warning and can leave a victim with serious injuries. In almost all cases where an unprovoked dog attack has taken place, the owner of the dog is responsible for compensating the victim for the injuries received. The question may arise whether the victim should confront the dog owner him or herself and try to get compensation independently of an experienced dog lawyer. Some victims may think that the expense of hiring a lawyer doesn’t justify

While the decision whether to use a lawyer or not is entirely that of the victim, it is strongly suggested that a dog bite lawyer is the best option. There are several reasons why this is the case.

Experienced Pennsylvania dog bite lawyers usually work on a contingency fee basis. This means that there is rarely an upfront fee needed to secure the services of a lawyer. Typically, the dog bite victim will be interviewed by the lawyer who will listen patiently to the circumstances of the attack. As the lawyer will have had many similar cases before, he or she will be able to give an informed opinion whether a compensation claim is worth pursuing and what the chances of success are likely to be. A dog bite victim who pursues a dog owner independently is unlikely to have any idea whether the time and money they invest in a claim will pay off.

A good dog bite lawyer will also work to ensure that a fair out of court settlement is made first and foremost with the dog owner’s insurance company. The majority of dog bite claims are successfully negotiated without having to take the case to trial. Having the case taken care of by a lawyer helps to reduce potential altercations between the victim and the dog owner, especially if the later is reluctant to admit liability for the attack.

An analysis of successful dog bite claims consistently shows that a claim pursued by a lawyer results in a much higher compensation amount compared to a claim brought by the victim independently. It is much more likely that a lawyer will be able to assess the amount that should be claimed for based on the medical costs related to the injuries, emotional and psychological effects and the amount of lost wages or salary due to having to take time away from a job. Insurance companies tend to give much lower settlements to independent victims, while the settlement negotiated by a professional personal injury lawyer who has had sufficient experience in this field can b e three to four times higher.

Whatever the decision made by a dog bite victim, a claim against the dog’s owner should be made as soon as practically possible. As with any personal injury claim, the success of the claim will depend on sufficient evidence being available to link the dog attack and injuries to a specific dog and its owner. Information about the dog and eye witnesses who were present at the scene will prove to be invaluable and the sooner this sort of evidence can be reliably recorded then the better the chance of a successful prosecution. If you or a member of your family has been injured by a dog which made an unprovoked attack, then you are entitled to seek just compensation. It is in your best interests to use an experienced Pennsylvania dog bite lawyer to help you fight the case on your behalf.