Attending to a Dog Bite Victim

Even innocent people can become victims of a dog attack. If the victim of a dog bite was not a trespasser or was not even taunting the dog at the time of the accident, the owner may be held liable for the injuries that the victims may suffer and need a San Diego dog bite attorney. But first, he should consider doing the following right after the attack.

• Stay calm. Instead of arguing with the victim or accusing him of doing anything wrong, take the dog away from the scene first so he would not attack any other person.

• Take the victim to a hospital or a doctor to get medical attention. Be considerate.

• Offer to pay the victim’s medical bills and his insurance deductible and/or co-payment. Doing so may have a positive effect on the victim and increase the chance of not having to go court. However, the owner’s insurance company may not reimburse because most policies state that the company will not be responsible for any voluntary payments made by the insured.

• Do some preventive measures so that the dog won’t harm anyone anymore.

• Get the name, address, and contact details of any witnesses to the incident.

• Be careful about telling other people what happened. Some statements may entail criminal consequences and be used against the owner, except of course expression of sympathy and compassion for the victim.

Just because the victim survived the attack, does not mean that everything will be fine. Remember to keep in touch with him days and weeks after the incident. Continue asking him about his condition. He may decide not to take legal actions against the owner if only the owner will show genuine concern. If the victim is fond of dogs, he may even decide not to do anything to the pet either.

If the victim decides to file a claim, there are three possible places where the owner might have to defend himself.

• Civil court – Most states consider dog owners strictly liable for the injuries of the victims.

• Criminal court – Dog bites generally are litigated in civil court. But if the present attack was serious, or if the dog has attacked someone before, the owner may be accused of criminal charges.

• “Dog court” – Animal control are also allowed to take actions against you or your dog under state or municipal laws.

A San Diego injury attorney from Mesriani Law Group will help get dog bite victims the rightful compensation they deserve. E-mail them now at info@mesriani.com