Few animals match the loyalty of a dog. They have been man’s faithful companions for centuries. They play multiple roles in San Antonio dog bites accident lawyer, from tracking prey for their master and detecting cocaine hidden inside a toy to herding sheep and assisting disabled individuals. But untrained or naturally aggressive dogs are problematic, not just to their owners but to society in general.
A CDC report states that more than 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year. Another worrying statistic is that more than 800,000 people require medical assistance for dog bites. If you’re a dog owner, you might think that your dog may not bite. Your dog will bite if it finds itself in a stressful situation or finds its territory under threat.
If you are a victim of a dog bite, then you must take the legal route to sue the owner. A dog bite injury lawsuit isn’t straightforward. You will need the help of an experienced lawyer who knows your state’s dog bite laws to make a successful claim.
This article focuses on one part of a dog bite claim. The losses. A victim of a dog bite accident can suffer from multiple types of losses, namely economic and non-economic losses.
Economic Losses
Economic losses are those that are easy to calculate. This means that you just have to submit the receipts for the costs incurred due to the dog bite to recover them. Economic losses generally include:
- Medical Expenses: The cost incurred to treat the dog bite wounds. All medication-related expenses, hospital stays, and other similar expenditures fall under this category.
- Lost Wages: You may require hospitalization if the injuries are severe. You will miss work during this time. The number of days you missed work will be taken into consideration when calculating lost wages.
- Lost Earning Capacity: Some injuries may have a lasting impact on the victim. As a result, the victim may not function as they did before. In severe cases, they will be unable to work. The victim can seek compensation in both of these situations.
Non-Economic Losses
Unlike economic losses, non-economic losses are hard to prove. This is because non-economic losses are often intangible. A journal and testimonials from certified therapists are two tools that are often used to prove non-economic losses. Photographs of the scar can also be used as evidence when making a claim for non-economic losses. Non-economic losses include:
- Pain and Suffering: Injuries aside, a dog bite victim may suffer from health conditions that may cause pain. The pain may arise while doing a specific activity, or it may be present all the time. Recording instances of pain and suffering will help increase the compensation sum.
- Emotional Distress: After a dog bite, the victim may develop a fear of dogs. Or, they may avoid visiting the place or performing the activity where the incident happened. In some extreme cases, they may walk around with a heightened sense of anxiety, preparing themselves for a dog bite. Instances like this can be used to prove that the dog bite caused emotional distress for the victim.
Knowing what to do after a dog bite must be common knowledge. But sadly, it isn’t. The best a victim of a dog bite can do is make the owner pay for the damage their pet has caused. You’ll need a lawyer because the laws for a dog bite vary from state to state.
