If you are pursuing a dog bite injury claim, you need to be careful so that you don't end up asking or settling for less than what you deserve. This can happen if you make the following mistakes:
Settle Your Claim Too Soon
When it comes to dog bite injury claims, most people agree that it is advisable to push for a settlement as soon as possible. After all, you don't want to be chasing your claim and dealing with the insurance adjuster month after month. However, you shouldn't take this to mean that you should settle your claim immediately after your injury.
A dog bite isn't like a cut from a knife or a fall; in addition to the broken skin, the dog can also infect you with different diseases. Although the risk of contracting rabies from a dog bite in the U.S. is low, you can still contract other diseases such as septic arthritis and osteomyelitis. Septic arthritis is an infection that leads to inflamed joints, while osteomyelitis is an infection that causes an inflammation of the bone marrow.
Therefore, you need to wait until the doctor has given you a clean bill of health before settling your claim. Otherwise, you may take the settlement money only to realize later on that you have developed some health complications related to the bite.
Get Treated Immediately After the Dog Bite
Every injury victim has the duty to mitigate their injuries and losses; this usually means seeking prompt medical advice and following your doctor's orders. This is necessary because your injuries can be aggravated by your failure to seek medical advice. The defendant can, therefore, argue for a reduced settlement because you will be seen to have contributed to your injuries.
As previously explained, a dog's mouth can contain numerous disease-causing organisms that it can pass into your bloodstream when it bites you. The germs can pass into your blood as long as your skin is broken. Thus, you might assume that you only have a minor injury while an infection simmers underneath. Even in the fortunate scenario that the dog doesn't infect you with a disease, you may still develop complications related to nerve damage. This means you need prompt medical attention after a dog bite even if you think the injury is minor.
Even if you have started negotiating your claim without a lawyer, you can still consult one to help you with the remainder of the process. The personal injury lawyer can also help you undo some of the mistakes you might have made.
Share27 October 2016
Were you injured at work and fighting to get the workers compensation that you have paid into each year? Sometimes, getting those payments can be very difficult. What do you do when an employer fights the claim? Do you need a lawyer to help you through the process? How will you pay for a lawyer if you cannot even pay your electric bill? You are probably as lost as I was when I went through the process. Fortunately, you can learn from my experience with the system and find the answers to many of the questions that you have about filing a workers comp claim and fighting the system when it is denied.
