Dogs may be loyal creatures, but their jaws are capable of inflicting a great deal of pain. If a dog bit you, you may be able to file a claim against the owner and his or her insurance company. This will enable you to receive financial compensation for your pain. The following signs indicate that you should contact a local personal injury attorney after a dog bite:
Your Injuries Required Medical Care
Serious dog bites generally require medical care. If a dog bite leaves a small bruise and does not result in complications, you may not need to contact an attorney. However, if you suffered lacerations, excessive bleeding, or infections at the injury site, seek medical care and consult a lawyer as soon as possible. A paper trail of doctor’s bills and pharmacy receipts will help your lawyer determine how much you should seek in damages.
You Missed Work Due to Your Recovery
Another concrete way to measure the impact of your dog bite injury is missed work. If you left the office early to go to a doctor’s appointment or otherwise missed out on opportunities to earn income, the dog owner can be held liable. Your personal injury lawyer can properly quantify the monetary value of the time you spent recovering and ask that the insurance company reimburse you. The same goes if you were denied a promotion or otherwise held back in your position while you were recovering from the dog bite.
Shea Law Group has decades of experience helping Illinois residents with dog bites and other personal injury issues. Call (773) 365-0040 today to reach a member of our skilled legal team. We can assess your injury, help you quantify the amount of damages to ask for, and begin the claims process against the at-fault party on your behalf.