In the United States, more than 4.7 million people are victims of a dog bite injury and accidents every year. If you have ever been bitten by a dog, you will know that it is an unpleasant experience. This is a terrible situation but this does not mean you have an automatic right to compensation. On top of this, making a claim for such a dog bite accident and injury can be a tedious and frustrating ordeal.
In fact, there are many victims who have not been compensated for their dog bite injury and accident by insurance companies or have received a financial settlement that is far lower than what they were entitled to. In the United States, more than 4.7 million people are victims of a dog bite injury Sometimes, victims of a dog bite injury and accident tend to ignore the importance of hiring the services of a personal injury lawyer and try and negotiate their own settlements. This often leads to insurance adjusters taking advantage of these victims and offering compensation that is significantly lower than what the victim would receive if they had legal representation. Victims who are not represented by legal counsel only receive 10 to 20 percent of what they would have received if they had a personal injury lawyer representing them.
More Compensation through Legal Representation
The cases of victims of a dog bite injury and accident when handled by personal injury attorneys are usually worked on basis a contingency fee, wherein the attorney usually charges 25 to 35 percent of the settlement amount as their fee. Victims of dog attacks therefore receive far more compensation when they are represented legally as compared to if they tried to settle the case on their own. Most of the time, someone who tries to deal with the opposition is just out of their debt. Even if someone has negotiation skills, i.e. a car salesman or an appliance sales professional, they could be distracted by other aspects of their life, i.e. missing work, medical issues, that they are not able to focus as they normally can on a particular issue. Negotiation with the insurance company is work, if you are unhealthy, you should turn this role over to someone who knows this domain exceptionally well and to someone who is healthy. A personal injury lawyer has experience in handling claims for cases like dog bites injuries When injured victims are legally represented, they can receive around 66 to 75 percent of the total settlement amount, instead of the 10 to 20 percent that they would be offered by insurance adjusters. It is because of a legal representation that the victims of a dog bite accident and injury can obtain a high monetary compensation.
Contingency Fees
When victims are charged on the basis of a contingency fee, they don’t need to pay their personal injury attorney until they are compensated duly. The fee of the attorney is usually agreed on by the victim and the lawyer in question in advance and constitutes a certain percentage of the settlement amount. The expenses that are incurred throughout the course of the claim like the cost for the collection of evidence etc., are borne by the attorney. This means that the attorney also will not receive anything if the victim doesn’t obtain any compensation.
Common Errors
People usually don’t know the ropes when it comes to the procedures involved in making claims for dog bite personal injuries. Some people even make the mistake of recording their statements which could hamper their chances of attaining the compensation they deserve.
Why Hire a Dog Bite Injury Attorney
A personal injury lawyer has experience in handling claims for cases like dog bites injuries that result from them. They are also know how to present the case to the insurance company and they know which laws they have on their side and how to employ this knowledge on your behalf in the best manner. They have been down this avenue before; the victim most likely has not.