Fort Wayne Dog Bite Lawyer

Types of Damages in a Dog Bite Case in Indiana

Dog bites can cause serious injuries. It’s even worse when children are the victims.

These incidents often result in broken bones, nerve damage and even permanent disfigurement.

It’s not just the medical bills that cost you. Injuries from a dog attack can be severe enough to affect your ability to work, and many victims are left with psychological scars as well as physical ones.

Recovering from such a traumatic incident is expensive, but a skilled Fort Wayne dog bite lawyer will help you fight for the maximum compensation available to you.

There are two broad categories of damages in a personal injury case like this.

The first is economic damages. These reimburse you for obvious monetary costs of the incident, like medical bills and lost wages if you had to miss work while recovering from your injuries.

A lawyer won’t just help you recover compensation for the expenses you’ve suffered so far. They can help you win damages with your future medical costs and loss of future earning potential in mind, too.

There are also non-economic damages, meant to reimburse you for those costs that are harder to quantify.

Victims can struggle with anxiety, PTSD, depression, and other mental health issues. You should be compensated for the pain and suffering you’ve experienced.

No fee until you win compensation.

Evidence to Support Your Dog Bite Case

You can’t just state that someone’s dog injured you and its owner was to blame.

You’ll need evidence to back up your claim and recover damages, including items like:

• Your medical records and bills
• Photos of your injuries
• Statements from people who witnessed the dog attack
• Pay stubs (if you missed work and lost wages due to your injuries)
• Testimony from psychologists or psychiatrists treating your mental health struggles
• Surveillance footage
• Evidence that the dog owner violated Indiana’s leash laws if you were attacked in public

Of course, any evidence you have of the dog’s previous aggression, like animal control reports and testimony from neighbors, can strengthen your case, too.

Do I Really Need a Dog Bite Lawyer?

Making your case for compensation in a dog bite case is much easier when you have a skilled lawyer.

You may think you have an obviously winnable case if someone else’s dog bit you. The dog owner was negligent, and you got hurt, so you’re clearly entitled to payment.

Personal injury cases are rarely this simple. If you don’t know the local laws well or understand how these cases work, it can be difficult to win compensation.

Fletcher Van Gilder guides you through the complications.

One issue is that the dog owner may do everything they can to deflect blame. They could accuse you of antagonizing the dog or say you were a trespasser.

If you don’t have a Fort Wayne dog bite lawyer supporting your case and helping you gather evidence, this becomes a “he said, she said” situation.

It’s also important to note that in most dog bite cases, the victim is technically pursuing the dog owner’s insurance company, not the dog owner themselves.

Insurance companies don’t want to pay out significant sums, and they have lawyers ready to help them downplay your injuries and the pet owner’s responsibilities and draft a lowball settlement offer for you.

Don’t let yourself get intimidated by the process. After a dog bite, don’t settle for less than what you should rightfully receive.

Contact Fletcher Van Gilder.