The Law Offices of Matthew J. Quinlan helps anyone that’s been injured by a dog bite in San Francisco. It’s an unfortunate situation that leads to many questions, mostly revolving around what you can recover in a claim. One of the often-overlooked parts of a dog bite isn’t physical—it’s emotional. We can help you figure out how you can get financial support for the emotional trauma of your dog bite. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Can You Get Financial Support for Emotional Trauma After a Dog Bite?
Any dog bite situation is likely to be physically painful, but California law also takes the emotional trauma of the incident into account when figuring out what financial support you can get in a claim. This is largely covered by the following “damages”:
- Emotional distress – This covers the emotional and psychological damage of the dog bite, usually revolving around things like your anxiety, depression, or PTSD from the incident.
- Reduced quality of life – This covers any changes in your life that happened because of the bite. Obviously, the emotional and psychological effects from the incident could be significant, especially if it was more serious. So, if you can’t enjoy your life the way you could prior to the bite, you can recover financial support relating to that change.
- Pain and suffering – This covers costs relating to the physical pain and mental suffering you go through because of the bite. The more traumatic the bite, the more you can potentially get.
With a dog bite, there’s a lot of different factors in play. While most of your focus should be on your health and safety, the mental and emotional fallout can be just as troubling for you as you move forward. That’s why these damages are available, but to get them, you’re going to need to file a claim.
How Do You Get Damages for a Dog Bite?
Getting bitten by a dog is incredibly unfortunate, and in some instances, pretty painful and traumatic. That’s why California law makes these damages available to you. But to get them, you have to actually file a claim against the dog’s owner—who is “strictly liable” for the damage caused by their dog.
To do this, you can either file:
- An insurance claim out of court
- A personal injury lawsuit
The insurance process is quicker since it’s out of court, but it’s also totally controlled by the insurance company. They get to decide how much your case is worth.
If you’re not satisfied with the insurance company’s offer, you can move forward with a lawsuit in court. This takes longer, but it’s fairer because it’s overseen by a judge and jury. They (and your evidence) decide how much you can get.
Aside from the above damages, you can also recover:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Repair/replacement costs for damaged property
Although it’s tough filing a claim, it’s often necessary to get your life back on track after a dog bite. Remember, though, you only have two years from the date of the bite to file. Miss it, and you can’t recover any damages at all.
What Can You Do to Help Your Claim After a Dog Bite?
The physical and emotional trauma of a dog bite is usually pretty serious, and even with the ability to file a claim and recover damages, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get what you’re owed. Still, if you do the right things after the bite, you can strengthen your claim and better your chances. Here’s what you can do:
- Get medical help – First and foremost, get away from the dog and immediately get medical help. You should either call 911 or go straight to an ER or urgent care so they can take care of any injuries and complications. This also creates a medical record of what happened.
- Find the owner – If you can, try to find the dog’s owner and get their information. This makes it easier to start the claims process. If you can’t find the owner, call the police or animal control and let them know. Give them as much detail as you can about the dog and where the bite happened to help them investigate.
- Document the scene – Take pictures of your injuries and note when and where the bite happened.
- Save your evidence – Whatever pictures and records you get, save them. The more visual evidence you can get, the better.
Again, getting bitten by a dog is always unfortunate. Even the most well-trained or even-tempered dog can lash out in the right circumstances. Taking these steps can form the foundation of your claim. From there, though, you can also turn to our experienced dog bite lawyers for guidance.
Contact MJQ Law After a San Francisco Dog Bite
When you’re bitten by a dog in San Francisco, it brings physical and emotional challenges you have to deal with. Our team of experienced San Francisco dog bite lawyers at MJQ Law understand what you’re going through and can help you through the claims process. We’ll make sure you have what you need for a strong claim and full damages. Contact us today for a free consultation to get started.
