Dog Bite Lawyer Michigan
If you are someone who is looking to hire a dog bite lawyer in Michigan or someone just curious about what the laws here are – you have come to the right place. Dog bite law is quite complex, without the help of a professional you will find yourself struggling to understand precisely what is going on and what you need to do. If you are relying on a fair settlement to pay your bills you don’t want to make any mistakes. A slipup here or there could leave you without the means to pay your rent/mortgage and medical bills. Here you will find a simple, easy to understand, breakdown of Michigan’s dog bite laws:
Who is liable for a dog biting?
In Michigan, the person caring for the dog can be found liable. If that is the owner, a friend, family member, or dog walker they are potentially at risk of receiving at least partial blame. Ordinarily, they will only be liable if they knew the dog was at risk of biting someone. If your parents have a vicious dog that is prone to biting people, you offer to walk it, and it bites someone. You are knowingly liable. Using the example of walking a family member’s dog again, if you are bitten by the dog of a relative you are still well within your rights to sue. Whether or not your relationship can withstand you suing them is something only you will be able to decide.
How long do I have to press charges?
It is best to report the bite immediately, this isn’t always possible depending on the severity of the injury, so just aim to get it done as soon as you can. If you find yourself in the hospital, it is a good idea to mention to the person caring for you that you need a copy of their reports for your lawyer. This will make your lawyer’s job easier, meaning you are more likely to get the money you deserve. The statute of limitations for dog bites is about 2 years across the entire country. Michigan is no different. However, you are still better off getting it done beforehand. If you can prove the owner was at fault you will have someone to rely on to pay your medical bills. You may not be able to afford them otherwise.
Contact Us About Your Case
If you have been bitten by a dog it is important that it is reported immediately so that all possible action can be taken to ensure it does not happen again.
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What compensation can you seek?
When you have been bitten by a dog there is a myriad of injuries you may sustain. Some may not even be apparent until way after the fact. Medical bills will all be covered, both immediate ones and any in the future. If the dog bite leaves you with severe nerve damage that will require a lifetime of therapy, well the dog’s owner will be on the hook for that. You may start to find yourself suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD, or various other conditions onset by stress, pain, and suffering. This will require therapy and perhaps medication, the dog’s owner will be responsible for paying this too. So, medical bills are covered. But what else is there to consider? Car payments, rent, mortgage, lost wages are all going to drastically affect your life. You may be entitled to additional financial compensation to cover these things.
What will happen to the dog?
Most dog bites are not intended to be malicious. Despite what you might think, having just been bitten, dogs aren’t inherently mean. Most of the time. Most times a dog bites because it is scared, frightened, confused, or sick. This doesn’t mean you don’t deserve compensation, it just means the dog doesn’t need to be demonized. Perhaps nor does the owner. However, some times a dog bites because it is a danger to itself and others. If that is the case, you may find the dog needs to be put down. This is not a decision that you will need to make, or even get any say it, a veterinarian collaborating with the courts will decide what is best for the dog.
Ways to prevent a dog bite attack:
As mentioned in the paragraph above, dogs can bite for a few reasons other than just being a dangerous dog. Dogs bite when they are scared or uncomfortable if you see a dog that isn’t yours and run up to it you may be in for a nasty surprise. If you do run-up to a dog causing it to bite you, you may even find you lose the settlement case. If you antagonize a dog, it may bite, that is the fault of the antagonizer, not the dog itself. A dog that is sick or injured is also prone to biting. They do this again because they are scared and feel vulnerable. Unfortunately, even the dog’s owner may not know the dog is sick or injured until the bite occurs. This is why it is important to always be cautious of unfamiliar dogs. If you are somewhere that you aren’t supposed to be, trespassing on someone’s land for example. You are putting yourself at risk of being bitten. You may even find the owner of the dog will sue you (and win!).
“After being involved in a dog attack where my leg was badly bitten I would have been severely out of pocket without some good legal advice.”
“I was devastated to have my daughter come home screaming after being bitten by a neighbors dog, so I really appreciated the work done to get a fair settlement ”
“I was unsure of my rights when I was bitten by a dog at the local park so thank goodness I inquired about the local dog laws. Without being advised correctly I would have wasted a lot of money unnecessarily.”
When to speak to a lawyer:
The best time to speak to a lawyer is as early on in the proceedings as possible. If you feel able to call a lawyer from the hospital, please do so. The reason being that every little piece of information is vital for your case. You have no idea the questions that need to be asked, the contact details that must be taken, the proof that needs to be file away for later use. Your lawyer will. By bringing them in as early on as possible you avoid the risk of overlooking anything. If you fail to do so you may lose your case, even if you truly do deserve compensation. The courts are not magic, they make their decisions based on the facts and evidence before them. When the facts are on your side, you want evidence of as many of them as possible.