I Am A Dog Bite Victim: Should I Sue Or Settle?

Dog Bite Incidents and how the law can protect you.

If you have been bitten by a dog you may be able to sue the dog owner in a personal injury lawsuit. Different states may have different laws and the amount of money you can get can vary. Therefore consider hiring a local attorney who is familiar with the state laws.

The dog owner may be liable for almost any injury their dog was involved in. There could be exceptions, however. If the victim was on private property trespassing or caused a dog to upset into attacking, then the dog owner might not be at fault.

You may be able to file a lawsuit for negligence if dog owners actions caused the accident. For example if the owner was aware of the fact that the dog was dangerous and did not take appropriate steps to prevent the dog bite accident.

Another example of negligence could be for example, if the dog's owner disregards public safety and leaves the fence door, gate, or door open or does not use leash where required by law.

If you have been injured, you may need to consult a personal injury attorney who is experienced in your state laws and has experience representing other victims of dog bite incident.

After you hire a lawyer, he or she will gather all the facts, any evidence and will draft a demand letter. The demand letter includes details of your dog bite injuries. It will also include a state that you intend to file a lawsuit. Your lawyer can write up arguments as to why the lawsuit is justified. He or she can also specify any settlement amount you may be requesting from the other party in order to avoid a trial in the court. It is probably best to avoid trial and settle for an agreed upon amount for a dog bite incident if this is acceptable by the victim. A lawsuit can be a very expensive, lengthy, and stressful endeavor.

If the dog owner agrees and accepts the settlement figure offer without further negotiation, it may be a good idea to not to proceed further to the trial and take the settlement if that is what the dog bite victim wants. If the dog owner offers a counter-offer then options are to litigate, negotiate further, or accept the counter offer.

If the settlement negotiations fail, it may be necessary to go to trial.