Dog Bite
Dog Bite Lawyer Palatine, IL
Palatine is the perfect suburban community in which to raise a family. Oftentimes, that family will include dogs. Unfortunately, there are some bad dog owners out there.
If you are bitten by a dog who has not had its shots, you may get rabies. The treatments you will have to get as a result will be very painful and expensive. In some rare cases, a dog bite can result in death, especially if a child is the victim.
According to Illinois law, a dog owner must pay the medical bills for any injuries their dog causes to a person or a farm animal. The only exceptions to this rule are if the person who was bit somehow provoked the dog into biting them or if they were trespassing on the dog owner’s property at the time.
You will need a Palatine dog bite attorney to help you get the money you need to recover from your injuries. Plenty of lawyers will come up when you Google “Palatine Personal Injury Lawyer” and deciding on one can be a daunting task.
Jack M. Shapiro has the training and the years of experience necessary to successfully negotiate with an insurance adjuster on your Palatine dog bite case. He is a trained litigator with a solid record of wins in court.
Typical Injuries From Dog Bites
There are a few injuries that are common after a dog bite; they include:
- Facial scarring
- Broken bones
- Puncture wounds
- Nerve damage
- Rabies
What to Do After You Have Been Bitten
If you are bitten by a dog, you must go to the doctor right away, even if you think it is just a nick. There are some injuries from bites that do not show up immediately. A doctor can do an x-ray to see if anything has been damaged. Medical records are very important when filing an insurance claim or when taking a personal injury case to court.
Damages You Can Recover After a Dog Bite
When you are bitten by a dog, you may feel intense pain and need medical treatment and even surgery. Victims of dog attacks often need months of physical therapy. Doctor’s appointments and surgery are normally scheduled during working hours, so you are likely to miss time away from work. You might require help around the house if your injuries leave you unable to do housework.
Our attorney can help you recover damages for the following:
- Medical bills
- Medication
- Lost wages
- House cleaning and services
- Emotional pain and suffering
In addition to saving your medical bills, you should also get a letter from your employer stating the number of hours you have missed from work. Save bills from cleaning services or ride-sharing services you have needed as a result of your accident. If you require mental health care, save the bills from that as well. It helps to keep a journal about how your injuries have affected your daily life.
The more documentation you can collect, the more proveable your claim will be. That documentation will also help you in a personal injury lawsuit for your claim.
Filing an Insurance Claim
Once you have been to the doctor, you will want to file an insurance claim. The insurer will ask you for your documentation, and your case will be assigned to an insurance adjuster. The adjuster will look at the evidence and decide whether to approve or deny your claim. If they deny your claim, we can contact the insurance company and appeal the decision on your behalf. If your claim is approved, the company will offer you a settlement amount. Call the offices before you accept that offer.
What a Personal Injury Lawyer Can do For You
Insurance companies want to keep their money in-house, and insurance adjusters will look for ways not to pay you or to pay you far less than you deserve. Companies that provide homeowners insurance and business insurance are staffed with teams of lawyers. Those lawyers write policies that are not always designed to benefit you.
A palatine dog bite lawyer will have similar training and knowledge to the insurer’s lawyers. Jack M. Shapiro used to represent insurance companies in all kinds of injury claims, including dog attacks. He knows just what arguments to use when negotiating to get you a better deal.
There are always some cases in which the two parties cannot agree. In these cases, we will discuss the possibility of a lawsuit. If a lawsuit is necessary, it is always a good idea to have a trained attorney represent you in court. A lawyer is a professional public speaker who knows what evidence is acceptable in court. They can subpoena records of the dog owner and the insurance company, which is crucial in a court case. A person who is not a lawyer cannot subpoena records in a Palatine dog bite case or any other case.
FAQs
How much can I expect to get from my personal injury claim?
The amount of money you will receive will depend largely on the amount of your medical bills and wages you have lost. There is no set amount. If you have been severely injured, we will fight to get you money for pain and suffering.
How much money will you charge me?
Like most injury lawyers, we work on a contingency basis. That means we only get paid if you do. We will take a percentage of the money we can win for you. Your initial consultation with our attorney is free.
Will you definitely take my case?
No. We only take cases we believe have merit and that we feel confident we can win. We do not want to waste your time or money. When you come in for your free consultation, you should bring all of the evidence you have. We will review it with you and decide if we can represent you.
Why should I choose your office for my personal injury case?
The law office of Jack M. Shapiro is big enough to handle your case but small enough that you will not get lost in the crowd. You will get personal attention from an attorney with years of experience in Palatine dog bite cases.
Famed dog trainer Barbara Woodhouse once said, “There are no bad dogs.” Unfortunately, there are bad dog owners. When a dog owner does not train their pet properly, it can result in people getting injured. A person is responsible for their dog’s behavior and should have to pay if their dog hurts someone. We can represent you in your Palatine dog bite injury case. Call us today.