They often say that a dog’s behaviour comes down to how it has been trained and looked after. If you have been bitten by someone else’s dog you may be wondering what you should do. Of course, going to the local hospital is the first step! However, should you take it up with the owner?
Yes, you should...
You can actually file a compensation claim against the owner of the dog. In general, these cases are often not very straight forward, and that is why you need a personal injury attorney. Nonetheless, if the dog in question has a history of being dangerous and aggressive, you will probably find that you are able to make a claim. After all, the owner has failed to safeguard the public and they have been aware of the dog’s nature. Nonetheless, it is not always easy to prove that the dog is aggressive and dangerous. This is where the gathering of witness statements and such like proves to be very important. For more information on your rights, go to this lawyer here.
You can’t always take the incident further
The truth is; not all dog attacks will result in personal injury compensation. You will need to prove that the dog in question has a history of being aggressive. If the dog is usually placid and the bite was completely out of the blue, it proves to be much more difficult, as the owner could never have known that something like that was going to happen.
However, if a dog is known as being somewhat dangerous, the owner has to take the necessary steps to ensure the public are safe. If they have failed to do so, there is every chance that you could be entitled to compensation if you file a dog bite injury case. Nonetheless, you will have to try and prove that the dog has a history of being aggressive, which is where witness accounts prove to be extremely valuable.
Caring for a dog bite
You will need to go to the hospital if you have been bitten by a dog. This is important because you don’t want the injury to get worse or for you to suffer an infection. Despite this, you still need to make sure you take the right steps once the injury has occured and also when caring for it at home. What does this entail? Firstly, you should stop any bleeding by placing a clean towel over the injury. You should also try to keep the injury area elevated. After this, use water to wash the bite carefully. You should also apply a sterile bandage to the wound, followed by antibiotic ointment to prevent infection. This should be applied on a daily basis. Your doctor will be able to advise further.
What do you need to do in order to have a good chance of getting compensation?
- You need to identify the owner of the dog. You will need their address and/or contact details. You also need to show that the owner is at fault for the dog bite you experienced.
- Find out whether the owner has any type of insurance that will cover their legal liability. In general Home & Contents insurance and Pet insurance are the two kinds of insurance that will be applicable in these instances.
- You may wish to report the attack to the police. This is a good idea, as it shows you have gone down the proper channels. Moreover, you may discover that you are not the first person to be attacked by the dog.
- You need to see a doctor for your injuries. It is imperative to get the dog bite checked out professionally. If you fail to do this there will be no proof of your injuries and you will find it very difficult to make an accident claim.
- Finally, the incident must have occurred within the last three years. This is actually the time limit on all personal injury cases.
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