Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers represent those who are injured by dog bites in Merced, CA. If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a dog bite attack, we can help you recover financial compensation for your medical bills, scarring, disfiguration, lost wages, pain, suffering, wrongful death and more.
Dogs are man’s best friend. However, sometimes, unfortunately, they bite. When a dog bite injury occurs, the victim may be injured so badly they can’t work, and may be facing huge medical bills they can’t pay since they can’t work. Worse yet, dog bite injuries sometimes cause scarring or disfiguration which stay with the victim for life. Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers help dog bite victims get back on their feet after a dog attack, making sure they can pay their medical bills and making sure they’re fairly compensated for the long-term effects that dog attacks have on their lives.
If you are a dog bite victim, we will represent you on a contingency fee basis, meaning our dog bite lawyers won’t charge you any fee to represent you until and unless we recover financial compensation on your behalf. You won’t owe an upfront fee. You won’t owe any money out of your own pocket. You’ll only owe us a percentage of what we recover for you, and if we recover nothing for you, you owe us nothing.
When we file dog bite claims for our clients, if our clients can’t afford treatment for their injuries we get them to doctors who will treat them on a lien. This means our clients aren’t charged for their treatment until their case is over. You may be wondering why doctors are willing to do this for our clients – it’s because doctors know we have a reputation for getting great results for our clients.
Call us today for a free consultation, fill out this page’s free case evaluation form or text us from this page if you or a loved one was injured or killed in a dog bite attack in Merced. We have been representing dog bite victims since 1990 and have recovered in excess of 0,000,000 for our clients. Call us today and let us put our experience to work for you.
What Compensation Can A Merced Dog Bite Lawyer Recover For Me?
If you’ve been injured in a dog bite attack, we can help you recover compensation from an insurance company, the dog owner or another party by filing a dog bite injury claim on your behalf. Compensation in dog bite cases can include compensation for:
Medical Bills
The biggest chunk of compensation in a typical dog bite claim is often compensation for medical expenses. Most clients come to us already facing medical bills. In addition, many of our clients will need future treatments, leading to yet more bills. When dog bites occur, we help their victims recover compensation for all past and future medical bills related to the dog bites.
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers
(209) 349-0005
Lost Wages
Your dog bite case may involve wages you were unable to earn due to your injuries. Your dog bite could have hurt you so badly you were unable to work for a period of time. You might have had to take time off work to get your dog bite injuries treated. We help California dog bite victims recover compensation for the wages they’re unable to earn due to dog bites.
Loss Of Earning Capacity
Unfortunately, sometimes dog attacks can leave victims unable to ever work again, or unable to ever do the job they used to do again. The experienced dog bite lawyers at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers help dog bite victims recover compensation for any loss or reduction of earning capacity they suffer because of a dog bite.
Pain And Suffering
Not only can dog bites lead to physical pain, but they can also lead to mental suffering through conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. When we represent you, one of the things we will do is make sure you are compensated fairly for the pain and suffering you experienced as a result of a dog bite attack.
Scarring And Disfigurement
Dog bites can lead to scarring and disfigurement which stay with the victim for life. This scarring and disfigurement can even happen on the face of dog bite victims. We can accurately place a monetary value on the affect scarring and disfigurement will have on the rest of your life and recover compensation for this.
Wrongful Death
Unfortunately, fatal dog bite attacks sometimes occur. If you’ve lost a loved one to a dog attack, no amount of money can bring them back. However, financial compensation can help make sure a dog attack doesn’t leave your family in financial distress. A California dog bite lawyer at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers can help you recover compensation for your loved one’s funeral and burial costs, medical bills, pain and suffering. We can also help you recover financial compensation for the loss of your loved one’s income, household services, companionship and love.
Who Is Responsible For Dog Bites In California?
According to California dog bite laws, dog owners are almost always responsible for dog bites. This means that, in most cases, dog owners (or typically an insurance company that they have a policy with) are financially liable for any injuries caused by their dogs.
Some exceptions to this exist in California dog bite law, though:
- Dog owners are not strictly liable when their dogs bite trespassers, although in some cases, when a dog bites a trespasser, the dog owner can still be held liable if the dog bite occurred due to negligence
- Dog owners are not liable for dog bites which occur in the holding or apprehension of a criminal suspect
- Dog owners are not liable for dog bites which occur while investigating crimes or possible crimes
- Dog owners are not liable for dog bites which occur while executing warrants
- Dog owners are not liable for dog bites which occur while defending a person or peace officer
Who Pays For Dog Bites?
Victims of dog bite injuries often fail to seek a legal remedy because they’re concerned that the owner of the dog will end up owing money because of the dog bite. This is common when the dog owner is a family member or a friend.
However, in most claims, it’s an insurance company who ends up paying for a dog bite, not the dog owner. Dog bite injuries which happen on the dog owner’s property are usually covered by homeowners insurance policies, since pets are considered property by these policies.
When dog bite injuries happen while pets are sitting in a vehicle, the claim may be covered by the dog owner’s auto insurance policy. Many insurance companies specifically offer policies which cover dog bites. If the dog’s owner has a policy like this, their insurance can cover the cost of any dog bite injuries. If the dog’s owner doesn’t have auto insurance, though, they will be financially liable for the dog bite.
Dog owners may pose defense against dog bite claims. They may allege that the dog bite victim was trespassing when they were bit, or they may allege that the bit was partially the victim’s fault because they provoked the dog. Call us today for a free consultation if a dog owner is denying liability for your dog bite – we can perform a thorough investigation of your case and collect evidence necessary to prove that a dog owner is liable for your injuries.
Why Is It Important To Hire A Dog Bite Attack Lawyer?
If you or one of your children has been injured, you don’t want to have to worry about a legal battle. The unfortunate reality is, however, that even when someone else’s dog is obviously to blame, an uphill battle may still be awaiting you in terms of recovering the compensation you deserve.
An attorney with thorough knowledge of the legal system will be key in terms of moving on from a dog bite attack. At Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers, we’ll assist you in navigating the legal process and work hard to bring a successful resolution to your dog bite claim.
When you hire Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers, we will:
- Provide you with peace of mind – you will rest assured knowing your claim is being handled by experienced professionals
- Maximize the value of your claim since, with a lawyer, your claim is worth more
- Get you to the best doctors who can help you become whole again
- Hire investigators who can gather witness statements and evidence
- Cover any upfront costs for you
- Create leverage and risk against insurance companies and their attorneys
- Answer any legal questions you may have
- Make sure you’re kept updated regarding your dog bite claim throughout the entire process.
Don’t wait to call us. Strict time limits exists for filing injury claims in California.
Is There A Time Limit To File A Dog Bite Injury Claim In California?
Dog bite injury claims are a type of personal injury claim. The time limit for filing personal injury claims in California, in most cases, is two years from the date of the accident. However, certain circumstances can change the time limit.
It’s important you call us today if you’ve been injured in a dog bite. Convincing dog bite cases can take quite a lot of time to put together. Calling us today gives us the most time possible to make sure your dog bite case is as convincing as possible and ensure all paperwork is filed in time.
What Should I Do After A Dog Bite?
If you’ve been bitten by a dog in Merced, you should:
Receive Immediate Medical Attention
Immediately call 911 for emergency treatment if you or a loved one is bitten by a dog. If the dog bite wound is bleeding, apply pressure to it in order to minimize any blood loss and make sure to wash the dog bite wound thoroughly using soap and water. Mention any injuries, no matter how minor, you suffered in the dog attack so these injuries can be documented by doctors and you can be properly treated.
Document The Dog Bite
If you physically can, after being bitten it’s important to identify what dog you were bit by and obtain any information necessary from the dog owner. Dog bites usually occur in homes and are covered by the owner’s homeowners insurance so it’s important to get the name, contact information and insurance information of the dog owner. Pictures may also help document dog bite attacks.
Contact Animal Services And The Police
Contact the police and request they visit the attack scene to write up a police report. This will assist in corroborating the attack. This will also provide you with the dog owner’s contact information if they’re not willing to directly provide it to you.
Contact Animal Services and file a report so Animal Services can take any administrative action needed, such as taking custody of the offending dog to prevent further dog bites.
Call Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers
The insurance company handling your claim will do anything in their power to reduce the money they have to pay you to compensate you for your injuries. Insurance adjusters will often attempt to use a recorded statement to partially blame you for a dog bite or minimize your injuries. They will also probably quickly send you paperwork, hoping you sign it, accept a settlement offer much smaller than you’re entitled to, and throw away your right to obtain future compensation by doing so.
Before you sign paperwork or give an insurance company a statement, call an experienced dog bite attorney at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers to talk about your legal options. We have vast experience in recovering full compensation for dog bite victims, compensation which covers physical injuries as well as emotional and psychological trauma.
If you or a loved one were the victim of a dog bite injury, don’t hesitate, call us today for a free case evaluation. We’ll make sure you get the medical care you require and start getting to work fighting for the justice and compensation you deserve.
