Five Factors That Influence Your Dog Bite Award Amount

Roughly 1,000 Americans require emergency medical treatment for a dog bite injury every single day, and if you’ve been injured by a dog, you want to ensure you get the maximum amount possible. But what type of factors will influence how much money you can collect from your dog bite claim? In today’s blog, we explore five factors that will play a big role in deciding how much your dog bite claim is worth in Minnesota.

What Affects Your Dog Bite Injury Award?

When determining how much to demand in a compensation claim, your lawyer will look at a number of relevant factors that serve to strengthen your claim. Here’s a look at five major factors they’ll review when building your case.

Medical Expenses – Assuming you win your case, you will be compensated for any past or future medical treatment that is needed to address your injuries. If you need stitches or a more invasive surgery, you can receive compensation for the cost of these services through your dog bite claim. If you’ll need future physical therapy sessions or have expected medical costs later in life as a result of your dog bite injuries, these will all be factored into your settlement amount.

Lost Income – If your ability to earn a paycheck was affected by the dog bite, your lost wages will be included in a claim demand. If you miss work or your future earning’s capacity is compromised as a result of your injuries, you deserve to be compensated for the impact on your finances.

Pain And Suffering – Aside from the physical injuries caused by your dog bite injuries, you may also experience some mental and emotional issues as a result of the incident. You can receive compensation for these non-economic damages, but proving their existence will be a little harder. Pain, mental anguish, emotional distress, PTSD or a loss in enjoyment of life are all factors for which you can be compensated following a dog bite injury.

Insurance Coverage – Unfortunately, the dog owner’s ability to pay out a claim against them will impact your claim award. Hopefully the dog’s owner has homeowner’s, renter’s or another insurance policy that provides coverage in the event of a dog bite injury, but some policies do not provide coverage for certain breeds, so you’ll need to have your lawyer explore what type of coverage the other party has. Their ability to pay will impact the total value of your dog bite claim.

Your Lawyer – Finally, who you choose to represent you throughout the process will have a large impact on your dog bite claim value. If you go with a firm who promises a quick payday or who can’t dedicate enough time to your case, you may find that your settlement offer is much lower than you expected. With so much on the line, you need to trust your case to an experienced legal team. At Margolis Law Firm, we have a wealth of experience helping clients get every penny they deserve after a dog bite injury, and we’d be proud to do the same for you. Don’t leave your compensation up to chance because you didn’t do your due diligence when it came time to find a lawyer.

If you’ve been bitten by a dog, let Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm come to your aid. For more information on how we can help, or for assistance moving forward with a different type of injury claim, reach out to our team today at (952) 230-2700.