An Augusta dog bite lawyer can be a trusted guide throughout this challenging time. The aftermath of a dog attack can raise a multitude of questions: Who is liable for your medical bills? What compensation are you entitled to for lost wages and emotional suffering?
Barrios & Virgüez offers bilingual consultations at no cost, ensuring clear communication from the very beginning of the legal process. We understand the physical pain, emotional trauma, and financial hardship faced by dog bite victims in Augusta and the surrounding areas. Our experienced personal injury attorneys are dedicated to protecting your rights and helping you recover the maximum compensation you deserve.
Steps to Take After a Dog Bite to Protect Your Rights
Dog bites can be frightening and stressful experiences. In the immediate aftermath, it’s important to take steps to protect your health and well-being, as well as your legal rights. Your lawyer can explain the process and tell you how long you have to file a claim after an accident. Here are some crucial steps to consider following a dog bite in Augusta:
- Seek Medical Attention. That is the top priority. Address any injuries, get a tetanus shot if needed, and follow your doctor’s recommendations for treatment and follow-up care. Keep all medical bills and records for documentation purposes when filing an insurance claim or potential legal action.
- Don’t Discuss Fault. Avoid admitting fault or providing insurance companies with a recorded statement. Anything you say could be misconstrued and potentially harm your claim.
- Report the Bite. File an official report with Augusta Animal Services. That documented record of the incident can be valuable evidence when establishing fault and the circumstances of the attack.
- Gather Evidence. If possible, take pictures of the bite wound, the dog, and the scene of the attack. These visuals can be helpful evidence when building your case. Try to get the name and contact information of the dog’s owner and any witnesses who saw the attack unfold. Their statements can be crucial in piecing together the events.
An experienced attorney can advise you of your legal rights and options under Georgia law. They can help you navigate the complexities of filing a claim with the dog owner’s insurance company, understand how comparative negligence may affect your case, and fight for fair compensation for all your losses.
Animal Attacks Explained by a Personal Injury Lawyer
Dog bites are the most common type of animal attack, but they are not the only ones. People can also be injured by other animals, such as cats, raccoons, or even wild animals. If an animal has attacked you, it’s important to understand the legal rights and options available to you.
Here’s a breakdown of some key points a personal injury lawyer can explain in more detail:
- Animal Owner Liability. Pet owners generally have a legal responsibility to control their animals and prevent them from causing harm to others.
- Dangerous Propensity. In some cases, a dog owner may be held liable even if their dog has no prior bite history. That applies if the owner knew or should have known that their dog had vicious tendencies that could pose a threat to others.
- Comparative Negligence. Georgia is known as an at-fault state. That may come into play in some animal attack cases. That means that if you are found to be partially at fault for the attack, your compensation may be reduced based on your percentage of fault.
Understanding these legal concepts can be critical in recovering compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses related to an animal attack. An Augusta dog bite attorney can investigate the circumstances of your attack, gather evidence, and negotiate with the animal owner’s insurance company to get you the fair settlement you deserve.
How a Dog Bite Claim Works
After an individual has been attacked or bitten by a dog, they should seek medical treatment to determine how bad their injuries are. Once their injuries have been taken care of and they are recovering, they will need to contact a dog bite lawyer in Augusta. The lawyer will review the medical records, police reports, and witness statements to establish a successful case and determine if a negotiated settlement or a court hearing is the best legal option.
The victim will most likely seek compensation to cover their medical bills, lost wages, and any emotional stress caused by the attack. The severity of the injuries will determine how much money the victim may need to cover their past and future losses. The extent to which your injuries affected your life will also matter.
Compensatory damages, including economic and non-economic damages, are an entitlement. We will need to carefully examine the various ways your injuries and the dog attack have impacted your life and may continue to affect you in the future. That way, we can accurately calculate the value of your claim.
Common Dog Bite Cases We Handle
There are various ways that a dog bite injury may occur. A dog could be loose in the neighborhood or break free from its owner, or a dog bite injury could happen when the dog is on a leash or in its own yard.
The most common types of dog bite injuries that our attorneys in Augusta have seen clients experience are:
Every single type of injury that a dog causes is relevant and should be addressed legally. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) stated that over 4 million people are bitten by dogs every year in America, and 1 in 5 people attacked by dogs requires medical treatment. While the statistics may sound alarming, the truth is that most dog bites are preventable.
Proving Liability and Negligence in a Dog Bite Case
To win a dog bite case, you must provide as much evidence as possible to your Augusta dog bite injury lawyer. They will need to prove that negligence was the culprit of this terrible attack that happened to you. To successfully prove that the dog owner was negligent, they must be able to show the following:
- The dog owner had a duty of care to control their dog’s behavior
- The dog owner breached this duty by not controlling their dog
- The negligence on the dog owner’s part resulted in your injury
- You have experienced losses because of this attack, such as the inability to work, medical bills, and emotional trauma
Proving negligence may be difficult in a dog bite case. But it is the most common route that most dog-bite lawyers take. If an attorney can prove that the dog owner may have known that an attack on the victim could happen, they will most likely have a winning case.
Recoverable Damages for Dog Bite Victims
Dog bite victims have the right to total financial compensation for their damages. However, recovering the compensation you are owed could be more challenging than you were expecting. Thankfully, Georgia law gives you the chance to be reimbursed for every compensatory loss.
Compensatory damages make up a combination of losses known as economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages are monetary, while non-economic damages are subjective in value. Some examples of damages you may be entitled to after a dog attack include
- Skin scarring
- Disfigurement
- Inconvenience
- Physical pain
- Mental anguish
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Lost wages
- Medical expenses
- Intense feelings of apprehension, anticipation, fear, and anxiety
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of future potential earnings
- Personal property damages
An Augusta dog bite attorney can explain what qualifies for punitive damages in Georgia. That category is rarely considered, and only a judge or a jury can have a final word on those.
Contact an Augusta Dog Bite Attorney at Barrios & Virgüez
Experiencing a dog bite may be one of the most frightening experiences that someone can go through. You not only have to deal with growing medical bills and lost income, but you must also learn to live with the emotional trauma and painful injuries you have sustained. At Barrios & Virgüez, we believe others should be held liable for their negligent behavior in these cases.
After taking on your case, our team will work tirelessly to Investigate The attack and gather the evidence needed to prove dog owner liability. We will do everything possible to build a powerful case against them so you can get through these difficult times and escape financial ruin. The dog attack may have had a substantial impact on your life, but it does not need to haunt you forever.
Therefore, we recommend consulting with one of our dog bite attorneys today. We have the experience, skills, and knowledge to help guide you through the legal steps and ensure your case gets the proper consideration it deserves. Call our office to speak with an Augusta dog bite lawyer today.
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