Being bitten by a dog can be a traumatic and painful experience. While some people recover quickly, others develop long-term issues, like medical complications, infections, and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Dog bites can be very serious – if you were bitten by someone’s dog, you shouldn’t have to pay for your own medical care. However, if they aren’t willingly covering your expenses, your only option is to file a dog bite lawsuit.
You should not have to cover your medical expenses
It goes without saying that when someone’s dog bites you, there’s no reason you should have to cover your medical bills. You can ask the person to pay for your medical care, but most people won’t. Or, they’ll cover your visit to the ER, but bail when you give them a bill for thousands of dollars.
Filing a lawsuit is the only way to recover adequate compensation. If you’re worried about losing a friend, if that friend isn’t trying to do everything possible to take responsibility, then they are not a real friend in the first place.
People need to be held accountable for their dogs’ behavior
Every dog owner is legally responsible for their dogs’ behavior, whether they bite a human or another dog. Unfortunately, few accept an ounce of responsibility. Many people don’t train their dogs to be obedient at even a basic level, and let them do whatever they want. Other people own dangerous breeds, like pit bulls, and turn a blind eye to the statistics that show they’re responsible for the majority of injuries and deaths. Pit bulls have caused more than one-third of all dog bite fatalities since 1996. Owners often say it’s unfair breed discrimination, but the facts are the facts.
Dogs who aren’t trained are more likely to get into mischief, especially when allowed to roam free. For instance, in rural areas, they’ll run around hundreds of acres, through everyone’s property, start fights with other people’s dogs, attack goats and chickens, and come home and the owner won’t have any idea what their dog has been doing. Meanwhile, the entire neighborhood sees their dog as trouble. This type of situation doesn’t typically get resolved until someone gets hurt and lawyers get involved.
People believe owning a dog is just about having fun, but it’s no different from parenting a human child. Dogs need structure, discipline, training, and correction to be stable and thrive. Just like kids, they’ll act out when they know they can get away with it, and it only ends when someone gets hurt. Filing a lawsuit is sometimes the only way to hold a negligent dog owner accountable for their irresponsible choices.
You could save someone else from a similar fate
It’s one thing if a dog owner doesn’t know their dog has any propensity to be aggressive or violent, and they happen to be triggered unexpectedly. That’s not uncommon. However, in many situations, owners know their dog is aggressive, and they’ve already had several bite incidents. People in this situation tend to justify or brush off their dog’s behavior as a total fluke, and since it’s usually a friend or family member who gets bitten, there are no serious consequences. Unfortunately, this can lead to a tragic situation where an aggressive dog ends up biting a baby, a child, or even an adult in a manner that causes serious harm or death.
By pursuing a lawsuit against the dog’s owner, you’re potentially saving other people from being bitten. The dog owner in question may be legally required to muzzle their dog, or if the dog is found to be truly dangerous, it may need to be put down. Unfortunately, many dog owners don’t want to be responsible and it ends up hurting everyone in the end. However, sometimes a lawsuit is all it takes to get them to fix the problem.
Get your justice through the court system
Taking legal action against a negligent dog owner for a bite injury is the right thing to do when they aren’t willing to take responsibility on their own. The good news is that their homeowners’ insurance policy will likely cover the judgment, so you don’t have to worry about forcing them to pay out of pocket.
If you lose your connection with that person over a lawsuit, they aren’t worth keeping in your life anyway. Responsible people don’t leave others hanging. So if you’ve been injured by a dog bite, don’t hesitate to file a lawsuit.
