Sandy Dog Bite Attorney

Dogs have long been trained to be reliable. No dog is impervious to fear, though. Dogs who are scared, abused, or inappropriately trained can react poorly to new situations. While some of these reactions can be understandable, empathy can’t compensate for the danger a dog bite can pose to your health.

If you come away from an encounter with a strange dog nursing a bite, you must take action. You need to get to a hospital as soon as you can. You can also contact an attorney to discuss what right you may have to legal action. The Sandy, UT, dog bite lawyers with 1Law can help you fight for the financial support you need to cover your accident-related losses.

Dog Bite Liability in Utah

Dogs aren’t given a second chance after attacks in Utah. Instead, owners can immediately be held liable for their dog’s inappropriate behavior. 

Note that this interpretation of dog bite accidents in Utah considers dogs to be the property of their owners. Ergo, only owners can face the consequences of a dog’s actions. You cannot request that a dog face legal consequences, like euthanization, via a civil complaint. 

Instead, you can meet with an attorney to discuss how you might use a civil claim to secure the financial support you need to facilitate your post-bite recovery.

Responding to a Dog Bite Injury

It can be difficult to know what to do in the days following a dog bite injury. Fortunately, you don’t have to draft a recovery plan on your own. You can collaborate with our team to better approach the medical and legal elements of your recovery.

With that in mind, it’s in your best interest to respond to a dog bite injury by:

Going to the Hospital

It doesn’t matter if a dog’s owner claims that they’re vaccinated or healthy. If you’ve been bitten by a dog, you need to go to a hospital as soon as possible. What’s more, you need to continue visiting medical professionals for regular updates on your health and any conditions that a dog bite may have exacerbated.

Regular visits to a doctor after a dog bite serve two purposes. To start, they keep you safe and healthy. They also give you a paper trail that you can reference when taking a dog bite to court. A medical institution’s records addressing your care can help you elaborate on the nature of your losses in your initial dog bite complaint.

Speaking to a Lawyer

Dog bite injuries constitute personal injuries in the eyes of Utah civil courts. Because Utah operates on the aforementioned “One Bite” rule, or Utah Code Ann. 1953 § 18-1-1, any dog owner can face the legal consequences for their dog’s misconduct regardless of that dog’s behavioral history.

The purpose of a dog bite claim is to help you pay for the services you need to treat the wound left behind by the offending dog. A claim can also help you demand compensation for your emotional distress or pain and suffering. While you can represent your own interests when you go to civil court, representing your case is often easier with an expert on call.

You need to discuss your ability to pursue a dog bite case with an experienced personal injury lawyer. With help from the 1Law dog bite attorney in Sandy, you can compose and submit your personal injury complaint. You can also protect yourself from intimidation attempts or insufficient settlement offers that might otherwise hinder your recovery.

Requesting Compensation for a Dog Bite Accident

When you request financial support for a dog bite injury, you need to estimate what that support might look like ahead of time. Civil courts in Utah want you to submit your estimate of your case’s value so that they can better understand the extent of your losses.

Most dog accident claims allow the injured party to request damages covering their:

• Medical bills
• Property damage, if applicable
• Time spent unable to work
• Lost opportunities for employment
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress

You can work with a Sandy dog bite attorney to establish the sum of your losses. We can also determine what role non-economic multipliers may play in your case.

Information to Include in a Dog Bite Accident Claim

When you file a civil complaint against a dog owner and their pet, you need to include as much information as possible in your initial document. You will have the opportunity to build on this information as your case progresses. Your complaint, however, is a court’s first introduction to your case’s losses. You need to accurately represent your circumstances if you want your case to move forward.

As such, our team wants to make sure that your complaint is both thorough and properly formatted. Some courts may reject claims if they do not abide by the state’s expectations of its documentation. Similarly, other courts may shoot your claim down if you try to file a complaint outside of the personal injury statute of limitations.

Utah’s Utah Code Ann. §78B-2-307 allows dog bite survivors to take up to four years to bring their complaints before a civil judge. The final complaint must include:

• The name of a dog’s owner or another liable party
• Evidence of liability in a dog bite accident
• Elaboration on and evidence of dog bite accident losses

You can discuss how to gather the information needed to build a thorough claim during an initial consultation with our team.

Hold a Dog Owner Liable for a Dog’s Misconduct

When you walk away from a dog bite accident, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and confused. Knowing who to hold liable for a dog’s misbehavior can be tricky, particularly if you’ve never experienced a sudden attack before. Fortunately, our team knows how to both address your immediate concerns and preserve your right to file a claim against a dog’s owner.

For help filing a dog bite lawsuit, schedule a consultation with one of our Sandy, UT, dog bite attorneys. 1Law resources can make it easier than ever for you to pursue compensation for the losses tied to your accident. You can contact us to set up an appointment by calling our office or utilizing our free legal chat.