Dog attacks can result in serious injuries. After being bitten by a dog, you will likely face significant medical expenses. Recovering compensation from the dog’s owner can be a critical step toward getting your life back on track after an attack. An experienced dog bite attorney in Orem can help you get the money you deserve.
At 1Law, we know that an attack from a dog can leave you with both physical and emotional scars. Recovering fair compensation could mean more than acquiring the money to pay your medical bills.
Obviously, if you are attacked by a dog, you are not going to be able to sue the animal for compensation. In the majority of cases, the dog’s owner will be liable for your injuries. However, there are circumstances in which another party could also be held responsible for a dog bite. For instance, a dog walker may hold a level of fault if the dog was in their care at the time.
Recovering compensation after an attack from a stray dog can be more challenging but not impossible. For example, if the attack occurred on public property, the city could potentially be liable. However, you may need to show that they were aware of the dangerous stray and failed to do anything about it.
Alternatively, if you were on private property, the property owner could be liable. Although, like when holding the city accountable, you would have to prove that the owner of the property was aware of the animal and failed to warn you or do anything to have the animal removed.
While there is no requirement to hire a dog bite attorney when pursuing compensation, it is likely going to be in your best interest to do so. Those who hire legal professionals tend to recover significantly more money for their claim than those who attempt to pursue compensation on their own.
Even after your lawyer has collected their fee, you will likely end up with far more money than you would have otherwise. It is critical to keep in mind that even lawyers tend to hire other lawyers when facing their own legal battles.
When you hire a dog bite lawyer, you can rest assured that your attorney will have your best interests at heart throughout your case. One of the primary reasons for this has to do with the way in which dog bite attorneys get paid. While many lawyers charge their clients for the hours they work on their cases, our dog bite attorneys instead charge based on results.
When you hire a dog bite lawyer, you will agree to pay them a specified percentage of the money you recover from the liable party. This is the only fee they will collect for their services, and it will be paid directly from the compensation you receive once your case has concluded.
Under this payment structure, the more money you get, the bigger the payday for your attorney. On the other hand, if you don’t recover compensation, your lawyer doesn’t make any money for the work they performed. This works as a great motivator to ensure that your lawyer will do everything they can to get you the money you deserve.
After getting bit by a dog, you will likely be able to recover several different types of economic and non-economic damages. Which damages you are eligible for will depend on the specifics of the attack and the injuries you suffered.
Common economic damages for which you may qualify after a dog bite include:
Common non-economic damages for which you may qualify after a dog bite include:
In some dog bite cases, you may also be able to recover punitive damages from the liable party. Punitive damages are different from the economic and non-economic damages listed above in that they do not focus on losses suffered by the dog bite victim. Instead, the purpose of punitive damages is to punish the at-fault party for their actions.
Punitive damages are only awarded in extreme cases where the actions of the responsible party are determined to have been either criminally negligent or carried out with the deliberate intention of causing harm to another party.
When filing a lawsuit for compensation for a dog bite injury, it is critical that you pay attention to the statute of limitations. In Utah, dog bite victims typically have four years from the date of the attack to file a lawsuit against the liable party. Once that date has passed, you will likely be out of options for recovering compensation.
However, you also must realize that special circumstances could alter the amount of time you have to file. By hiring a dog bite attorney as soon as possible after your attack, you can ensure that any special circumstances are accounted for and that your lawsuit will be filed on time.
At the 1Law Orem office, our team of dedicated dog bite attorneys knows the challenges faced by dog bite victims. We will work hard to ensure that you recover the compensation you need to move forward with your life after an attack.
Give us a call, fill out our online contact form or use our free chat tool to get started today. We offer free consultations where we will review your case and advise you of your legal options.