subject: Dog Bite Lawyer - How To Proceed After An Attack [print this page] If you or someone you know has been attacked by a dog, you may need to consult a dog bite lawyer to file a lawsuit. Those who have never witnessed the first hand devastation that can occur at the teeth of a vicious animal may not realize how serious such an event can be. People have been left with permanent, disfiguring injuries after an encounter with a ferocious "tame" animal. Pets have been killed. Children have died as a result of an owner who has been negligent in their responsibilities. The costs following such an attack can be exorbitant and it should not fall to you to cover them. Here is how you should proceed if you wish to file a lawsuit.
Witnesses
A dog bite lawyer is going to want to see witnesses before anything else. If no one saw the attack, things get muddy. That's not to say that there haven't been successful lawsuits where no witnesses were available for testimony. Circumstantial evidence can prove a case just as well as eyewitness testimony. That said, having a witness on the scene can persuade a jury like almost nothing else. If you know of anyone who might have information about the attack, contact them, get their story, and ask them if they would be willing to testify in court.
Keep Medical Records
If an attack was severe enough to seek reparations, it was severe enough to seek medical attention. Plainly stated, if you did not seek out a doctor following the attack, any lawsuit you attempt to file is unlikely to be successful. When you do seek treatment, make sure you keep detailed medical records of your visit. Take photographs of the injuries. A dog bite lawyer can show these photographs to a jury and instantly win them over to your side. Be as thorough as possible, both when documenting the injuries and when collecting the medical records. The more information you have, the stronger your case will be.
Report the Incident
While the majority of the information here concerns an eventual civil lawsuit, a pet that has attacked an injured another person is a legal liability and the owner may be in breach of the law. In any case, you need to call the police and animal control in your city and report the incident. The severity of the incident may be grievous enough to put the owner in jail and it could call for the animal to be put to sleep. While this may tug at your heartstrings even after a vicious attack, remember that failure to report the incident to the authorities is going to hurt any eventual case you try to bring. Additionally, you will feel some sense of responsibility should the animal attack again.
by: Anna Woodward
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