What should I do if I get injured or bitten by a dog?
I walked into the yard and there were two vicious dogs chained 2 feet from door. One had broken chain and before I realized it the dog attacked me. It made a hamburger of my lower right leg. No one heard me screaming as the dog continued to bite me several time. I immediately went to emergency room. Instead of calling 911, they waited till they could start their van (which would not start on several attempts) so I was bleeding out for ten minutes. Upon arrival at the hospital, I learned that I was punctured 16 times (5 straight to bone), exposed, broke an artery and fractured my tubular bone. I received 2 surgeries in my 7 day stay at the hospital. I returned home with a home health nurse. They claimed that they do not have insurance. I have more surgery to come. Any thoughts? I need advice on how to go about this. They are trying to return the dog home. I am the 5th person to be attacked. This is the county not city limits any lawyers or someone experienced in this kind of predicament?
Answered By: Harris Law Firm, pc
Get photos of the wound every day. Do not talk to any insurance company, or agree to release your medical records or make a recorded statement until you speak to a lawyer. If these dogs bit before, there should be no issues regarding liability. Usually the biggest problem in these cases is whether the dog owner has insurance. If they have homeowner insurance, then they should take care of the injuries. If there is no homeowners insurance, then the only way to recover is if the dog owners have assets. If they have little or not assets, then there is little to no chance of recovering for your injuries.
Answer Applies to: Oregon
Replied: 9/20/2011
Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.
Answer Applies to: Oregon
Replied: 9/20/2011
Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.
More Questions on Personal Injury
- Where can I get help to pay for medical bills after a slip and fall?(12/8/2011)
- How is negligence determined in personal injury cases?(11/17/2011)
- How should I receive compensation from a car accident?(11/9/2011)
- Should I sue because of the accident?(11/9/2011)
- Can I still sue for a possible malpractice that happened years ago?(11/9/2011)
- Can I file a personal injury lawsuit if I was abused?(11/9/2011)
- Should I file a malpractice personal injury lawsuit?(11/9/2011)
- Who is legally responsible if a minor gets into a car accident?(11/9/2011)
- Can I sue after being involved in a house fire?(11/9/2011)
- Can I sue the brand name company for product liability?(11/9/2011)
- Can I sue the hospital if I was injured during child birth?(11/9/2011)
- Would the groomer be responsible for the vet bill?(11/9/2011)
- Are you responsible for damages if an accident happened on private property?(11/9/2011)
- What should I do if my employer assaulted me at work?(11/9/2011)
- Can I sue the babysitter for negligence?(10/27/2011)
- If I was at fault in a car accident, should I still hire a personal injury lawyer to defend my case?(10/27/2011)
- How do I know if I have a legally valid personal injury claim?(10/26/2011)
- Is it possible to get paid for past medical treatments?(10/17/2011)
- Can I sue for personal injury if my airbags did not deploy in a car accident?(10/17/2011)
- Is there anything I can do to prevent getting sued for an accident?(10/17/2011)
