Introduction
While most of us love dogs, there are instances where these animals can create a number of personal issues for you. Whether your dog has bitten someone else or another dog or you have been bitten by a dog, there are some exorbitant costs that can arise as part of the medical care for someone or something that has been bitten by one of these canines. Whether you are a person bitten by a dog or the one who owns the dog, you can be sure there are costs that can break your budget. It is a good reason why most homeowner’s insurance policies provide at least some form of restitution as part of the policy itself. However, you may be interested to know what a dog bite injury compensation amount may look like.
The Costs Can Be Extravagant
What makes the medical care costs for dog bites so extravagant is that you may have to pay a number of bills. These begin with the medical bills, which can be quite excessive depending on the kind of injuries incurred.
Medical Bills
The rising cost of medical care is already making many procedures costly and caring for someone who has a dog bite, especially a rather severe one can be beyond your imagination. Not only do you have to worry about the likelihood of going to an emergency room, but you may need several stitches and even surgery. This can cost you a great deal of money.
Missed Time at Work
Also, if you are unable to work or the person bitten by your pet is unable to go back to work, you are likely going to be stuck with a loss of income as part of the dog bite injury compensation amount you have to pay.
Pain and Suffering
You may also find that there is a cost related to pain and suffering. Recuperating from a dog bite can be overwhelming not only physically but also mentally. Those mauled by a dog have a long road ahead of them where they may need to see a therapist or some other kind of counselor as part of the healing process. Some may think that it’s only a dog bite, but when you have been viciously attacked by a large dog, like a German Shepherd or a Doberman, and severe injuries have been part of that ordeal, this can make moving on in your life very difficult. The additional cost of pain and suffering may be part of the dog bite injury compensation amount.
Property Damage
Damage to property may occur as well. If you wear eyeglasses and they have been broken during the incident, you or the person injured will need to be compensated. If you are riding a bicycle and it was damaged as part of the attack, compensation will be expected here. If the person injured has their computer damaged, their backpack torn apart or their clothing ripped, these are all part of the compensation package.
Punitive Damage
A judge or jury may find that your or the dog owner’s behavior was reckless in the way the dog was restrained. A dog that is off a leash at the time of the attack will increase the dog bite injury compensation amount, especially in the area of punitive damages. The court can find that a penalty needs to be imposed as a “lesson” to the dog owner to be more responsible with their pet. These punitive damages can be quite excessive, far more than all of the other costs incurred combined. It’s a warning to the dog owner and all other dog owners that they need to be much more responsible with their pet.
Call our Personal Injury team at (480) 467-4392 to discuss your case today.