After more than 25 years of experience with dog bite injuries in Murray, Paducah and Southwestern Kentucky, I have a few tips regarding a dog bite case and how to handle the resulting injuries. Man’s best friend can sometimes turn out to be a dangerous animal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 1 in 5 people who are bitten by a dog will need to seek medical treatment. A dog bite can be serious because the injuries involved can including infections, scarring and potentially death.
There’s a common misconception that just because “the dog has never bitten anyone before” there’s no way to pursue a claim for your injuries. This is false.
In Kentucky, most dog bite claims are covered by the homeowner’s insurance policy. There’s no such thing as a “first bite” rule, under Kentucky law. If it happened, it happened. The potential financial settlement in a dog bite case is typically dependent upon the extent of the injury and the presence of homeowners or renters insurance.
It’s important that you immediately seek medical attention for a dog bite. There are several diseases that may result, if the teeth of the dog penetrated the skin. These diseases include:
- Rabies
- Capnocytophaga bacteria (rare, but a risk for those with immune system issues)
- Pasteurella
- MRSA
- Tetanus
Filing a dog bite case may seem trivial, until it’s your child or family member who is severely injured. We’ve all heard reports of pit bulls mauling individuals. However, any breed can cause an injury.
Tips For A Dog Bite Case
If you’ve been bitten, make sure you take pictures of the injuries. Wounds heal over time and may not look as serious after a couple of weeks or months. At the same time, we encourage you to seek medical treatment. Timely treatment can help you avoid painful and permanent consequences from the bite. It also creates an official record of the severity of the incident. Pictures and medical records are evidence an attorney can use in negotiating with the insurance company. Should your case go to court, these important pieces of evidence will be extremely important to the jury as well.
Personal injury attorney, Jeff Roberts and the entire team at the Roberts Law Office are prepared to speak with you if you were injured by an animal and need to pursue a dog bite claim. For a free consultation, contact us or call (270) 753-0053.
