Dog attacks can cause serious damage to the victim in the forms of physical injuries, emotional trauma, and financial damages from medical bills. Even one bite can make you feel like your life has flipped upside down.
The Advocates’ personal injury attorneys have been representing dog bite victims for nearly three decades, and we are ready to help you too. We understand the difficulties you are facing in the wake of your injury and are committed to getting you on the road to recovery.
If you or a family member has suffered an animal attack and need an experienced attorney for your personal injury claim, contact The Advocates law firm today for a free consultation.
Immediately after your accident, check for injuries
Contact The Advocates as soon as possible to begin the road to recovery
Seek medical attention as soon as you can
Keep track of any and all treatment you receive during recovery
Once you've completed treatment, your case can move forward
Your Advocate will send a demand letter to the other party
Not every accident requires an attorney. However, if the accident resulted in injuries or significant property damage, it is a good idea to contact a lawyer. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you navigate the claims process, which can be lengthy and complex. Your attorney will build your case, keep track of your medical records, negotiate with insurance companies, and represent you in court if necessary. Studies have shown that accident victims who hire a personal injury lawyer can receive settlements up to 3.5 times larger than if they settled on their own.
The best way to know if you have a case is to speak with an attorney. The Advocates offer free consultations—you can speak with a qualified legal team to understand what your case is worth without paying a dime. Once you have decided to hire an Advocate, we will investigate your accident to firmly establish liability.
Your initial consultation with us is always 100% free. There are never any upfront costs or hidden fees when you hire The Advocates.
Our attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that our attorney fees are calculated as a percentage of your settlement. You will not pay us unless we win your case, and you receive a settlement.
Every personal injury case is different. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to accident claims. The length of the claims process will depend on the severity of your injuries, the willingness of the other party to settle, the court’s caseload, and more.
In general, personal injury cases can take anywhere from several months to a few years. It’s important to contact an attorney as soon as possible to get your case started. Each state has a statute of limitations for personal injury cases, after which you will lose your right of action.
When you hire The Advocates, we will begin investigating your accident immediately while you finish medical treatment. Once all evidence and medical records have been compiled, your attorney will send a demand letter to the other party’s insurance company. At this point, negotiations will begin.
In many cases, a settlement can be reached during negotiations. If the other party refuses to make a fair offer, you may choose to file a suit. In the litigation phase, your attorney will represent you in court in front of a judge, jury, and/or arbitrator.
The Advocates have helped thousands of accident victims receive the compensation and care they deserve after their accidents, and we are prepared to do the same for you.
We will:
I was in an accident 3 years ago and had a very bad experience with the attorney back then I was in another accident last year and called the advocates mark and his team were amazing changed my view on accident attorneys they kept I'm touch with me every step of the way gave me authority on choices for myself I didn't have to go with what they said I could go against it and they still would have worked with me the same I had choices this time around I would always go with Mark I have even sent friends his way just cause I appreciate all the help and support the whole way threw.
My experience with the advocates was a good one. After being hit by a car on my motorcycle they helped me with a settlement with the insurance company to get the hospital bills paid. They were extremely helpful. They always answered any questions I had with in a day. Every email I sent was always responded to. If you unfortunately has to go through a injury by another person I would recommend them in helping you resolve any debt you have because if that injury. The Advocates were great to work with and help me get this unfortunate event behind me.
Steve and his crew at The Advocates were nothing short for amazing. They took my case after I was rear-ended resulting in neck surgery. Steve and company made sure all of the was taken care of and that I got the maximum compensation possible. I definitely recommend The Advocates
Mr. Brad Johnson, our lawyer; was Awesome! He was very informative, kept us up to date on my case with regular calls. He returned calls back to us within 24 hours or less. Brad Johnson is very courteous, honest, kind, and a pleasure to talk to and work with. There are very few Lawyers out there that could even come close to the high morals that Brad Johnson has and has shown towards us. We need more lawyers like Brad Johnson . If we ever needed a disability lawyer again in the future; it would be Brad Johnson and The Advocates Firm that he works at. We will definitely turn ALL of our family and friends towards this lawyer and firm; in a heartbeat!!!
I want to First say that I am truly thankful for the advocates Law Firm they have been a great service to me through this ordeal and Katie she is a tremendous lawyer someone that I would recommend she fights tooth and nail for her clients and the rest of the team they supported me to the fullest with that being said I would like to say for anyone who is trying to find an attorney to fight their case The Advocates is the way to go.
Any dog has the capability to bite or attack unexpectedly, but certain situations present a much higher risk than others. Dog bites are most likely to happen when:
Dogs are not properly trained and socialized: Dogs who have not received the socialization they need may learn that barking, lunging, and biting is the way to get out of stressful situations. Dog owners should put plenty of time into training their dogs and exposing them to a variety of environments
Depending on several factors, dog bite injuries can range from mild to life-threatening. Some common injuries resulting from dog attacks include:
As soon as you are bitten, even if you don’t appear to have serious injuries, take pictures. If the dog owner attempts to leave the scene with their dog, pictures can help identify the dog or owner later.
Take pictures of the scene as a whole as well, so that the location where the incident occurred can be verified.
Many times, insurance companies require a police report to be filed before they will accept a claim. If your injuries are not severe, call the local non-emergency line and ask for an officer to be dispatched to the scene.
If your injuries are serious, call 911.
If you have been bitten by a dangerous dog, the first thing to do is treat any injuries that are of immediate concern. This may include:
As soon as you are able, see a doctor, even if you do not believe your injury is severe. Your doctor will be able to assess the extent of your injuries and help keep your wounds from becoming infected.
Obtain the following information from the owner of the dog:
Getting this information will make it easier to locate the owner later if you decide to file a claim. If your injury happened in a public place or on the owner’s property while you were an invited guest, the owner’s insurance company may cover your damages.
Whether the owner is liable for the bite or not will also depend on the laws in your state. Some states observe strict liability for dog bites, under which the owner is often found liable, as long as the victim was not trespassing on private property.
Other states follow the “one bite rule,” where an owner is liable if the dog has bitten before and the owner knew about its potential for viciousness.
Whether you are the bite victim or your dog bit someone else, be sure to get contact information from anyone who witnessed the incident. Later on, if an insurance claim or dog bite lawsuit is filed, their accounts can help provide an accurate picture of what happened.
Your local animal control agency can investigate the bite incident for you and may later help your case. It can also help prevent dog bites from occurring in the future. In fact, many states require dog bites to be reported.
Animal control will open a file on the incident. They will be able to verify the dog’s vaccination history and whether they have a history of biting.
Keeping records of the attack, your injuries, and any other relevant information can all be used as evidence if you decide to take legal action. You can use photos or videos, journal entries, medical records, and other written records to provide an accurate account of your injury and healing process.
Document the following:
For any personal injury case, a plaintiff only has a certain amount of time to file their claim. After that time period is up, they lose their right of action. This is referred to as the statute of limitations. Depending on your state, the statute of limitations for your case is likely somewhere between 1-6 years.
However, it is a good idea to file your claim much sooner than that. Personal injury cases can take a long time to settle, so it is a good idea to give yourself as much time as possible before the statute of limitations is up.
If you were injured in a dog bite attack, you will need to report the incident, seek medical treatment, keep track of your medical records, ensure your bills are paid while waiting for your case to settle, and more. It can be overwhelming to deal with a personal injury claim while experiencing the physical and emotional distress that comes with dog bite injuries.
The personal injury lawyers with The Advocates have years of experience negotiating with insurance providers and fighting for our clients’ right to fair compensation under the law. Our legal team is standing by to take care of the dog bite claims process for you so that you can focus on feeling better.
We are here to help every step of the way– our number one priority is your peace of mind. Contact us today for a free case evaluation. You deserve a peaceful recovery. You deserve an Advocate.
