How much a dog bite case is worth in Ohio depends on many factors. First, a lawyer will conduct a thorough investigation of your accident and the resulting injuries to determine your goal case value. Some important factors they may consider include:
- How the animal attack occurred
- Who is liable for the dog bite
- The severity of your resulting injuries
- The strength of the evidence used to link your injuries to the attack
A dog bite lawyer in Ohio can help you determine the value of your case and work with you to build a strong case for compensation.
Damages You Can Recover in an Ohio Dog Bite Case
Although every situation is unique, the damages potentially available in a dog bite case include:
- Medical costs: Including emergency care, ambulance transportation, surgery, hospitalization, medications, and more
- Ongoing care costs: Including rehabilitation, therapy, and mobility aids
- Lost wages: For the time spent away from work related to your recovery
- Diminished earning capacity: If you cannot work the same job after your injury
- Loss of enjoyment of life: If your injuries resulted in permanent impairments
- Scarring: If your appearance changed after the attack
- Pain and suffering: For your physical pain and other challenges
Essentially, if your dog bite injury caused you hardships in your health and for your life, you could be able to seek more from the liable party. Your lawyer may be able to negotiate a higher settlement if:
- You had a serious injury that had you miss work for weeks
- Your injury limited your normal activities for an extended period
- Your injury had you face psychological trauma
Still, you should not dismiss the potential value of your case on your own. A lawyer with experience handling dog bite injury cases can tell you how much you could seek. You could be surprised to discover what you could pursue.
For a free legal consultation, call (614) 538-1116
Determining Liability for Dog Bite Injuries
According to Ohio Revised Code Section 955.28, dog owners are responsible whenever their dog bites someone, even if it is the first time they have done so. This victim-friendly statute means we do not need to prove the owner’s negligence to pursue compensation for your injuries.
Instead, we only must demonstrate that:
- The dog’s owner or handler was responsible for controlling the dog
- The dog attacked and bit you
Proving Liability for Your Damages Requires Evidence
Demonstrating your injuries were linked to the dog attack will be crucial for your case. Your lawyer should gather strong evidence to make your case. This evidence may include:
- Witness statements
- Local business camera footage
- Your medical records
- Photos of the attack site
- Photos of your injuries
- Records of past attacks by the dog
How a Dog Owner May Try to Challenge Your Case
While you may think you have a relatively clear case against a dog owner, they or their legal representatives may try to deny or downplay liability. In their defense, they may attempt to claim that:
- You provoked the dog, which caused the dog’s aggressive response
- You were trespassing on their property when the dog attacked you
- You were committing a criminal act at the time of the attack
Alternatively, a dog owner’s representatives may try to downplay the extent of your injuries. For instance, you may have required weeks of physical therapy to heal from surgery after a dog bite. However, the insurance company might assert that your dog bite injuries did not warrant extensive medical care.
A lawyer who understands dog bite cases will be familiar with these kinds of challenges. They can help you recover the compensation you deserve for your injuries, losses, and other expenses.
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How a Dog Bite Lawyer in Ohio Can Help
If an animal attack injured you or a loved one, our dog bite lawyers in Ohio could help you with your claim in many ways, including by.
- Manage communications: By letting your lawyer handle the back-and-forth emails, calls, and other correspondence, you will have more time to focus on your recovery.
- Gather evidence: Your attorney who knows how to bring a dog bite injury case in Ohio can help you collect all the evidence you’ll need to build a strong case. This can include medical records, police reports, witness statements, and more.
- Negotiate a settlement: Your lawyer can fight for a fair settlement that compensates you for your injuries, losses, and other expenses. Your lawyer will fight for an award that reflects what your Ohio dog bite case is worth.
- Represent you in court: If an equitable arrangement cannot be reached, your dog bite lawyer in Ohio could protect your right to compensation by bringing your case to trial.
Affording a Lawyer After a Dog Bite
You may not be sure if hiring our lawyers after a dog bite injury makes sense. However, you should know that we work based on contingency fees. This means that you do not need to make any upfront payments when you begin your case.
You will only owe lawyer’s fees if your case is successful. Then, the payment comes as a percentage of any settlement or award you receive.
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Act Promptly to Meet Ohio’s Statute of Limitations
In Ohio, you have a time limit to file a lawsuit. You must bring your dog bite or animal attack lawsuit within six years of the date of the incident to preserve your right to claim compensation.
There is an exception to this rule, however. If a dog bit you before you turned 18, you have six years from your 18th birthday to file your claim instead, regardless of when the incident occurred.
Call Our Law Firm Serving Dog Bite Victims in Ohio Today
If you or a loved one was injured in an animal attack and are dealing with dog bite injuries, our attorneys could help. We have a track record of results for past victims of dog bites, and our team is ready to work for you.
Call the team at Bressman Law today at (877) 538-1116 for a free, no-obligation review of your dog bite case.Call our team today for your free case review at (877) 538-1116.
Call or text (614) 538-1116 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
