Brooklyn Park, MN, Dog Bite Lawyer
Animal attacks usually cause serious physical, emotional, and secondary wounds. Physically, the initial knockdown often causes head injuries and serious broken bones. Then, when dogs bite, their teeth cause tearing lacerations and deep puncture wounds. Emotionally, about half of dog bite victims develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Dog bite PTSD is especially common in child victims. Symptoms like anger, depression, and flashbacks make it difficult or impossible to function at home or anywhere else.
Infections are the most common secondary dog bite injuries. These wounds have extremely high infection rates. Staphylococcus, streptococcus, capnocytophaga, and Pasteurella are quite common, even if the animal was fully vaccinated.
Victims in the North Star State have multiple legal options, mostly because Minnesota has one of the most victim-friendly dog bite laws in the country. According to Section 347.22, “If a dog, without provocation, attacks or injures any person who is acting peaceably in any place where the person may lawfully be, the owner of the dog is liable in damages to the person so attacked or injured to the full amount of the injury sustained.” This broad law also makes it easier to use other legal theories and establish liability. These other theories include negligence, which is basically a lack of owner care.
The experienced Brooklyn Park, MN, dog bite lawyers at Tyroler Leonard Injury Law routinely handle these matters in Hennepin County and nearby jurisdictions. Over the years. We’ve developed proven methods in these cases. We thoroughly evaluate your case, diligently collect evidence, and then face off against the big insurance companies. This simple, yet effective, method allows us to obtain maximum compensation for your serious injuries.
Why Should You Choose a Brooklyn Park, MN, Dog Bite Lawyer from Tyroler Leonard Injury Law?
Any of the thousands of lawyers in Minnesota could probably handle a basic dog bite claim. However, there’s rarely such a thing as a “basic” claim.
Our Brooklyn Park, MN, dog bite lawyers not only build cases from the ground up, we know how to refute common insurance company defenses, such as the provocation defense. This defense is available even in the aforementioned strict liability claims. Usually, fighting words and aggressive movements are provocative. But in this context, provoking an animal is a physical act that’s almost as bad as torturing an animal.
Assumption of the risk might be the most common negligence defense. This defense usually hinges on a warning sign, like “Beware of Dog.” However, a sign is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. The insurance company must prove the victim saw the sign, could read it, and could understand what it meant.
Many other Hennepin County lawyers miss such details, which means victims usually settle their cases for less. But at Tyroler Leonard, our Brooklyn Park, MN, dog bite lawyers pay close attention to such details.
We also understand that our clients need medical treatment, and they need to be in the loop. So, we connect victims with doctors and proactively communicate with you throughout the process.
How We Can Help
Trial Attorneys from Tyroler Leonard Injury Law
Only a small percentage of personal injury claims go to trial. Nevertheless, your Brooklyn Park, MN, dog bite lawyer should have substantial trial experience. A lawyer must be ready, willing, and able to go to the mat for you. If that’s not true, the insurance company will take advantage of that weakness.
Winning a trial is a little like getting a good grade on a test. Students who diligently do their homework and listen closely in class usually do well on tests. Similarly, attorneys who pay attention to detail, and seek out the counsel of others when necessary, usually win most of their trials.
Sometimes, because of Tyroler Leonard’s strong reputation, other Minnesota personal injury lawyers refer cases to us, or at least ask for our assistance. The word is out, not only among our colleagues but also among our opponents, that we know what it takes to win.
Hospitalized Due to a Dog Bite in Brooklyn Park, MN
Get Money for Hospital Bills from a Dog Bite Injury Lawyer
We touched on some serious dog bite injuries in Minnesota above. Now, let’s look at them in more detail.
- Physical: When dogs lunge at victims and knock them down, the violent motion usually causes a head injury, breaks bones, and mashes internal organs together, causing them to bleed badly. Deep puncture wounds usually make internal organs bleed more, and severe tearing lacerations leave scars which, in many cases, never fully heal.
- Emotional: PTSD is not a random processing disorder. Extreme stress, like combat stress, a car crash, or a serious dog bite, alters brain chemistry. This chemical imbalance causes PTSD symptoms. Since this injury has a medical cause, it requires medical treatment. Unfortunately for victims, not everyone responds to therapy the same way and not all victims can tolerate all PTSD medications. These drugs are extremely strong.
In a serious injury case, the medical bills often exceed $100,000. Most health insurance policies don’t cover injury-related costs, and most families cannot possibly afford to pay these bills out of pocket.
So, our Brooklyn Park, MN, dog bite lawyers connect victims with doctors who charge nothing upfront for their services. These aren’t just any doctors. These are top-notch doctors who know how to diagnose and treat dog bite injuries.
Dog Bite Statistics
According to DogsBite.org, nearly 1,000 people in the U.S. require emergency care, per day, due to dog bites. Over 12,000 of those people end up being hospitalized. This means that Americans are spending millions of dollars per year to pay for the treatment of dog bite injuries.
If you are one of those people, a Brooklyn Park, MN, dog bite lawyer can help you recover that money from the dog’s owner.
How a Dog Bite Injury Lawyer in Brooklyn Park, MN, Can Get You Money for Your Injuries
When you suffer an injury in a car accident, it is usually pretty clear who will pay for your medical expenses. Either your insurance company or the insurance company for the other party in the accident is responsible for paying those expenses. However, a dog bite is different, because a dog doesn’t have insurance, right? At least, that is what most people believe.
As it turns out, a dog does have insurance. Or, to be more accurate, the dog owner likely has insurance. Even though it is very unlikely that the average person has dog bite insurance, nearly all dogs are covered under homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. This means other people are responsible for paying for your medical expenses if their dog bites you.
But just because you can get money, this doesn’t mean it will be easy. Insurance companies are notorious for denying legitimate claims or paying you less money than you need to recover from your injuries.
Brooklyn Park, MN, dog bite injury lawyers from the law firm of Tyroler Leonard Injury Law have experience dealing with insurance companies and know how to get you the money you deserve.
When we take your case, a dog bite injury attorney in Brooklyn Park, MN, will press the insurance company for a fair and prompt settlement.
We will present mountains of evidence to show that the dog owner was responsible for the dog that bit you and that the bite seriously injured you. We will also prove how much financial damage you suffered, including medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
If negotiations fail, your dog bite injury lawyer in Brooklyn Park, MN, from Tyroler Leonard Injury Law is always prepared to go to trial. We will fight as vigorously to get you money in court as we do during negotiations. You need the money from the insurance company to recover from your injuries, and we will do everything within the law to get it for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before you speak with a lawyer, you want to be as informed as possible. At Tyroler Leonard Injury Law, we try to answer your dog bite questions before you ask them.
Who will pay for my medical bills resulting from a dog bite injury?
Usually, your medical bills will be paid for by the renter’s or homeowner’s insurance of the owner of the dog that bit you. (This should even apply if your own dog bit you, though your insurance company might require specific dog bite insurance.) A dog bite injury attorney in Brooklyn Park, MN, will help you determine who is responsible for paying your medical expenses.
Can I make a claim for injuries suffered even if the dog didn’t bite me?
A dog doesn’t have to bite you to hurt you. For example, if a dog attempts to attack you and you slip and fall and suffer a spinal injury, you are just as eligible for damages as you would be if the dog bit you.
A dog bite injury lawyer in Brooklyn Park, MN, from the law firm of Tyroler Leonard Injury Law will examine your case and help you make a claim for any injuries caused by a dog, whether the dog bit you or not.
What if I need future scar revision surgery?
When we seek damages for our clients, we aren’t just seeking damages for current medical bills. We seek damages for future medical bills as well.
Our Brooklyn Park, MN, dog bite lawyers are familiar with the long-term effect of scars and the costs that are usually required to treat those scars in the future. When we negotiate for a settlement, we will include those costs as part of our negotiations.
Am I eligible to receive damages from the owner of the dog?
Minnesota law (and Wisconsin law) allows you to claim damages from a dog owner as long as you didn’t provoke the dog or trespass on their property.
A dog owner might try to claim that you provoked their dog, to avoid paying compensation for an injury they are liable for. Your dog bite injury lawyer in Brooklyn Park, MN, will present evidence that you didn’t provoke the dog, making the dog owner responsible for your injuries.
How long can I wait before making a claim for my dog bite injury?
Normally, you may wait up to two years (or three years in Wisconsin) after a dog bite injures you to make a claim under Minnesota statute. However, if you suffered a dog bite as a result of domestic abuse, you may wait up to six years to file your claim.
In any case, our Brooklyn Park, MN, dog bite injury lawyers recommend that you file all injury claims as soon as possible. You are much more likely to win your case and get the money you deserve if you file promptly.
How much money will I receive from my Minnesota dog bite claim?
The amount of money you will receive can vary based on several factors. The most important factor is how high your expenses are, including lost income, pain, and emotional distress.
But your compensation can also be affected by how long you take to file your claim and whether you have a dog bite injury attorney in Brooklyn Park, MN, representing you. If you file late or don’t retain a lawyer, you are less likely to receive all of the money you are owed.
If these responses failed to answer your specific question about a dog bite case, feel free to ask one of our attorneys for more information. We are available 24 hours a day to help you with dog bite claims in Brooklyn Park, MN.
Don’t Wait to Contact a Dog Bite Injury Lawyer in Brooklyn Park, MN
Even a Small Delay Can Prevent You From Getting Compensation
As the old phrase goes, time is money. This is accurate when recovering money from an insurance company for a dog bite injury. Every day you wait to contact a lawyer could cost you money.
You need to hire a lawyer quickly if a dog bite has severely injured you. A dog bite lawyer will collect evidence from the incident and help you contact a doctor to get the necessary treatment. This is important for ensuring you get paid for your injuries.
The memory of witnesses fades, and physical evidence like camera footage might be lost if it isn’t intentionally preserved. Our attorneys will collect and preserve all evidence critical to your case, including getting the contact information for the owner of the dog. If you don’t think to collect that at the scene, the owner could easily disappear, giving you no way to collect your damages.
It is equally important to receive medical attention quickly. The longer you wait to receive medical attention, the harder it may be to prove that the dog was responsible for your medical costs. Additionally, if the injury worsens because you waited, you may not be able to receive compensation.
Speed is of the essence when responding to a dog bite injury case, but so is care. A dog bite injury attorney in Brooklyn Park, MN, from Tyroler Leonard Injury Law will ensure that you act quickly and properly. We know how important it is for our clients to make all of the right moves early on so they can collect as much money as possible when damages are paid.
Attorney Rachel Sperling Leonard
A partner of Tyroler Leonard Injury Law, Ms. Sperling Leonard practices exclusively in personal injury and wrongful death claims. Specifically, she specializes in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, boating accidents, dog bites, dog attacks, slip and falls, trip and falls, sexual assaults/abuse and other assaults. Some representative cases of Ms. Sperling Leonard’s in the last few years include: a $1 million settlement for an individual injured in a car crash, a $750,000.00 for a man injured when he slipped and fell, a $455,000.00 settlement for an individual injured after falling, and multiple $250,000.00 settlements for individuals injured in motorcycle and auto accidents, among many others. She frequently turns insurance company denials into fair-value offers.
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