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Monterey Dog Bite Lawyers
Many households in Monterey have dogs. Owners might regularly walk their dogs, take them to the beach, or visit El Estero Lake dog park, Sylvan dog park, Pacchetti dog park, or other dog-friendly areas of town. When you encounter any dog, even one you know, there is always a chance the dog might bite you.
Dog attacks can be traumatic. When a dog attacks someone, especially a small child or elderly person, the victim may sustain serious injuries, including open wounds, deep lacerations, and even broken bones. Even if a dog does not bite someone, it may knock the victim over, causing them to suffer serious injuries from the fall.
In addition to the significant pain and trauma often associated with a dog bite, victims may also encourage large medical bills, and they may need to miss time from work to seek medical treatment for their injuries. Consequently, some dog bite victims may incur lost wages and other significant losses.
If you have sustained injuries in a recent dog attack, you should reach out to experienced legal counsel immediately. The property owner’s homeowner insurance policy typically covers monetary compensation in any dog bite claim or lawsuit. However, obtaining compensation for your injuries is no simple task.
The Monterey dog bite lawyers at Silva Injury Law can help you file a claim with the dog owner’s insurance company and pursue the total monetary benefits you deserve, including compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, inconvenience, pain, and suffering.
Our legal team will work tirelessly to help you recover the maximum monetary compensation you deserve for your injuries. For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with an experienced Monterey dog bite lawyer, please reach out to our firm and speak with our legal team.
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Recoverable Monetary Damages in a Dog Bite Incident
Every dog bite incident is different, as are the injuries a bite victim suffers. Generally speaking, the more serious a victim’s injuries, the more compensation they can recover as part of their claim or lawsuit. The Monterey dog bite lawyers at Silva Injury Law can help you maximize your monetary damages and ensure that you receive fair compensation for all your injuries.
First, you can recover reimbursement for your dog bite medical expenses. For example, you may receive compensation for your doctor visits, medical procedures, physical therapy, or surgeries. In addition, if a medical provider anticipates that you may need additional treatment, such as reconstructive surgery, you can recover those anticipated costs as part of your dog bit claim or lawsuit.
Some dog bite victims may suffer such severe injuries that they cannot work after their accident. In those instances, the bite victim may be eligible to recover compensation for their lost earnings or their loss of earning capacity if they have to switch jobs or careers and take a pay cut due to their injuries.
In addition to these economic damages and other out-of-pocket costs, a dog bite victim can recover monetary damages for all of their inconvenience, mental distress, pain and suffering, lost quality of life, lost spousal companionship or consortium, loss of the ability to use a body part such as with a paralysis or spinal cord injury, permanent disfigurement, or disability.
The knowledgeable Monterey dog bite lawyers at Silva Injury Law can highlight the strengths of your case during settlement negotiations with insurance company adjusters and work to maximize your monetary compensation. Our legal team makes it a priority to ensure that you receive fair compensation in your case. If the insurance company refuses to offer you the monetary damages you deserve, we will not shy away from filing a lawsuit and litigating your case in the court system.
Although no amount of money can fairly compensate a dog bite victim for physical injuries, especially permanent ones, it can help to bring about a sense of closure and justice for you and your family members.
What Are Some Common Dog Bite Injuries?
Whenever a dog bites a person, it sometimes catches the person off guard, causing them to suffer extremely serious injuries, some of which may be permanent. Some of the most common injuries that dog bite victims suffer include puncture wounds, deep lacerations that require stitches, bite marks, permanent scarring, broken bones, and soft tissue injuries. Moreover, if a dog attacks a person and they fall to the ground, the person may suffer additional fractures or soft tissue injuries depending upon how they fall.
As soon as possible after suffering injuries in a dog bite incident, you should seek medical treatment at an urgent care facility or hospital emergency room. In some cases, especially if a dog does not have the proper vaccinations, a person can become very ill or even die if a dog bites them. In addition, the victim may suffer severe injuries that require stitches or even a surgical procedure to correct.
Generally speaking, the longer a dog bite victim waits to seek the medical treatment they need, the more serious their injuries may become. Therefore, bite victims should obtain medical treatment on the same date as their incident, if possible. A medical provider at an urgent care facility can also refer patients for additional medical care if needed.
If you sustained any of these injuries in a dog attack incident, our experienced legal team can review the factual circumstances of your case and determine if you may be eligible to file a claim with the dog owner’s insurance company. If you are, we can assist you through every step of the process and work to recover monetary compensation that makes you whole again.
While you continue focusing on obtaining the medical treatment you need, our legal team can start advocating for you. First, we can gather your medical treatment records, bills, and other documents, including investigation reports, police write-ups, and witness statements. Our legal team can use all this evidence to prove your case and your entitlement to monetary compensation.
Steps to Take After a Dog Bite Incident
The most crucial step you can take after a dog bite or attack incident is to seek medical care and treatment for your injuries. Next, you should speak with witnesses who saw what occurred and obtain their contact information. These witnesses can testify in court on your behalf and support your version of events.
It is also crucial that you document your dog bite injuries by taking pictures of those injuries. If possible, locate the dog’s owner or caregiver and obtain their contact information and insurance information. Finally, you should be sure to report the dog bite incident to the local police or to your local animal control agency.
After you take all of these steps, you should speak with a Monterey dog bite lawyer as soon as possible. We can begin advocating for you right away and pursuing the monetary benefits and damages you need to recover in your case.
Dog Bite Law in California
The state of California follows strict liability law in the context of dog bite cases. This means if a dog bites a person in a public place, the dog owner is automatically responsible for the bite injuries. This is true even if the dog never bit anyone in the past or showed any aggressive or dangerous propensities previously. Dog owners can also be responsible for bite injuries if a dog bites an individual on private property where the person is lawfully present.
The Monterey dog bite attorneys at Silva Injury Law can review the facts and circumstances of your dog attack incident with you and determine if you are eligible to file a claim seeking monetary compensation. If you are, we can begin the claims-filing process on your behalf right away.
Filing a Timely Dog Bite Lawsuit
Dog bite incidents fall under the umbrella of personal injury law. Therefore, the California statute of limitations applies to all dog bite matters.
Dog bite victims have two years from the date of the incident to file a lawsuit against the dog owner seeking monetary compensation or damages. In most instances, the dog owner’s homeowner insurance company will step into the dog owner’s shoes, so to speak, and supply the necessary coverage.
In the event you fail to file a dog bite lawsuit within the appropriate time frame, the court will prevent you from recovering any monetary compensation for your injuries. Therefore, it is best that you seek legal help in your case as quickly as possible after your dog bite incident.
At Silva Injury Law, our experienced Monterey dog bite lawyers can help you handle every aspect of your case. We can represent you during all legal proceedings and strongly advocate for your legal interests at all times.
Will My Monterey Dog Bite Case Go to Court?
As with most personal injury cases, the majority of dog bite claims do not proceed all the way to trial. This is true even when a dog bite lawyer files a lawsuit in the court system on the injured bite victim’s behalf. In fact, if every dog bite case went to court, it would place an enormous strain on the entire judicial system. Moreover, many insurance companies want to avoid the risk, time, and expense associated with litigating a case in the court system and taking it to trial.
If the insurance company is willing to offer you fair and reasonable damages for your dog bite injuries, you may be better off settling your case. However, if the insurance company will not take your case seriously or offer you the fair monetary recovery you deserve, you may be better off taking your case to trial.
If you do take your case to court, our experienced legal team will be by your side, aggressively advocating for you, introducing favorable witness testimony, and introducing favorable documentary evidence on your behalf. We will do everything possible to convince the judge or jury that you deserve to recover monetary compensation for your injuries.
As an alternative to taking your case to a jury trial, you can consider one or more alternative dispute resolution options. First, you and the other party’s lawyer can meet with a neutral mediator who can help focus and direct your settlement discussions, potentially making them more meaningful. A good mediator helps the parties work together to reach a favorable resolution in the case.
In addition, you can agree with the other party to take your case to a binding arbitration hearing. In binding arbitration, a neutral arbitrator listens to the evidence that the parties present, just as a judge does in court. However, an arbitration proceeding takes place outside the courtroom. After the parties have finished presenting their evidence, the arbitrator will decide on the amount of monetary compensation to award the dog bite victim.
At Silva Injury Law, our legal team can help you litigate your case through the court system and focus on maximizing your monetary recovery to the greatest extent possible.
Speak With an Experienced Monterey Dog Bite Attorney Today
Michael Joe Silva, Dog Bite Accident Attorney
In addition to seeking the prompt medical treatment you need after your dog bite incident, calling a dog bite attorney in your area is one of the most important steps you can take toward maximizing your total monetary recovery.
At Silva Injury Law, our legal team can help you handle every aspect of your case, from the claims filing process up until the end of litigation. If the insurance company refuses to take your case seriously, we can represent your case up through trial and aggressively fight for your legal interests every step of the way. Reach out to a personal injury lawyer.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a skilled Monterey dog bite lawyer, please call us at (831) 471-5060 or contact us online today.
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“I cannot say enough good things about Silva Injury Law. Everyone starting with the front desk were very professional, honest and hardworking. Michael and his team worked diligently to make sure everything went as quickly and as smooth as possible. Silva Injury Law genuinely care about their clients and I would highly recommend them.”-Vallerie Rosas
Silva Injury Law – Monterey Office
215 W Franklin St #212
Monterey, CA 93940
Promoting Healing Through Compassionate Advocacy
We believe that our duty goes beyond achieving large monetary awards for our clients. We strive first to be decent human beings who seek not to stir up fights, but to solve problems.