Steps to Take Following a Dog Bite

With an average of 885,000 dog bite injuries each year requiring medical attention, it is important to know what you need to do to protect your interests. To receive the best possible representation and fair compensation, you need the expertise of a Minneapolis Dog Bite Injury Attorney. Our partners are powerful, dynamic litigators with years of experience handling dog bite injury cases, including a recent dog bite settlement for $60,000. Call 612-362-0000 or contact us about your dog bite injury.

Key Steps to Take After a Dog Bite:

• Identify the dog that bit you:
  • the dog license number
  • the breed
  • the size of the dog
  • the coloring / markings
  • the owner of the dog and their address
• Get names and addresses of those who witnessed the dog bite.
• Take pictures of the bite wound, bruises, and any of the bloody details from the dog bite (bloodied clothing, bloodied hands from covering the wound, bloodied cloth used to cover the wound, etc.).
• Go to the emergency room for medical attention and verification. If the dog bite was on the face, insist on a plastic surgeon to repair the wound.
• Follow the doctor’s order exactly. It is in your best interests to do the following in order to reduce scarring:
  • stay out of the sun
  • wear sunscreen
  • massage scars using scar reduction cream
  • have the stitches taken out on schedule
• Contact a Minneapolis Dog Bite Injury Attorney immediately, so that people can be interviewed while the incident is fresh in their minds. The facts of your claim and the extent of your injuries must be proven. The proper documentation must be requested from the doctors and the insurance company within a certain time frame. A Minnesota Dog Bite Attorney will get the necessary evidence and monitor your medical treatment, to ensure that the insurance adjuster will understand exactly the extent of your injuries, deal with you fairly, and give you adequate compensation.

The dog owner or the insurance company will probably contact you. You will need to obtain the following information:

• name, address, and phone number of insurance company
• claim number
• name of person insured
• insurance policy coverage for medical expenses

Do NOT Do the Following

When you talk to the owners or insurance company, do NOT do any of the following things:

• Do not allow your phone call to be recorded.
• Do not discuss the case, including details of the case, the injury, money, settlement, or accept any form of payment.
• Do not allow the bite to be photographed for the insurance company.
• Do not make an appointment to meet.
• Do not sign anything presented by any insurance company, the dog owner, or the landlord.

Compensation for a Minneapolis Dog Bite Injury

Possible compensation if you have suffered a Dog Bite Injury:

• medical bills associated with the dog bite, including cosmetic surgery or scar reduction treatment
• reimbursement for wages lost due to the dog bite injury
• therapy to overcome the emotional trauma of the dog attack, if necessary
• compensation for pain and suffering
• compensation for any disability or disfigurement
• reimbursement for torn clothing or broken eyeglasses

Minneapolis Dog Bite Injury Attorney & Lawyer

Our Minneapolis Personal Injury Attorneys have a proven record of exceptional settlements and verdicts. Steven Terry, Chuck Slane, and Rich Ruohonen have been named Super Lawyers repeatedly by Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine. They will represent you aggressively and ethically. Call 612-362-0000 or contact us online.