Mississippi Injury Lawyers / After a Dog Bite Injury

After a Dog Bite Injury

Watch this video about what to do after a dog bite injury in Mississippi. Then call the Brad Morris Law Firm for a free legal consultation.

Question:

What should I do after a dog bite?

Answer:

If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog bite incident or a dog attack, particularly here in Mississippi, there are a few things that you should think about first and foremost. First off, if you or a loved one have been bitten by a dog or been involved in a more serious dog attack, the first thing to do is get the medical attention that you need. Everything else can wait.

Again, first and foremost, get the medical attention that you need. We want you to get better. Frequently in dog attacks the injuries are a lot more than a little snippet on the ankle. We have seen situations where people have been attacked literally within an inch of their life. We’ve seen horrible disfigurement. We have seen situations where people die, and it happens more often than we’d like to admit. These can be very serious, catastrophic injuries, even near fatal situations in which vulnerable people or children are viciously attacked by dogs. Get the medical help that is needed, first and foremost, and continue that medical treatment until the doctors say otherwise. First and foremost, we want people’s health to be protected. The medical treatment and the ongoing treatment as doctor’s direct are also important from a legal standpoint because it helps create that record of the injury and what the victim is dealing with. From a legal standpoint, eventually we would go back to those records to be able to show the extent of the injury, what the prognosis is for the future, and develop a plan where there’s going to be ongoing treatment in the future and what that plan of care is going to look like. Get the medical treatment you need and get the ongoing treatment as your doctor recommends. At some point, invariably, if the dog owner is responsible for these attacks – and they usually are – attention is going to turn toward the legal claim. The first thing to keep in mind in a dog bite case, or really any personal injury case, when you start thinking about the legal aspects, is that there are very strict time limits for bringing a claim. When we’re talking about personal injury claims, and dog bites fall into that, most states have a strict, spelled-out time period for when the claim can be brought. Here in Mississippi our general statute of limitations, as it’s called, is three years. Most dog bite and dog attack claims fall within that three-year statute. That time period can be affected by other circumstances. The easiest example I can give is when children are involved. Sometimes we can get that extended because of the minor. The important thing to understand is that you don’t want to toy around with that time limit because, if a claim is not brought within the statutory time period for bringing a claim or filing a lawsuit, then you forever lose your right to file that claim. You will not be able to bring the claim or resuscitate it, and the claim will be forever barred, preventing you from getting paid. Those time limits are very strict. They’re very harsh if you miss them, so you don’t want to do that. Don’t wait on bringing your claim. After a Dog Bite InjuryThe third thing that is really important is, when you do start thinking about the legal aspects and pursuing a claim against the at-fault party, it’s really important that you have legal representation helping you. I can tell you from experience with multiple dog bite and dog attack cases over the course of my career that these types of cases are unique. The way that you pursue a dog bite or dog attack case is different than the way you pursue a car wreck, a slip and fall, or a medical malpractice case. It is its own unique type of claim, and you really need not just legal representation but legal representation that handles personal injury claims on a regular basis— representation that has some experience and a track record of success with these particular types of cases. There’s a number of aspects to a dog bite or dog attack case that are just different in how you approach them, from the type of evidence that you’re looking for to the type of experts involved and other legal considerations. Looking for an attorney to represent you that has a track record and experience with those types of cases is very important. Particularly in a dog bite case versus other types of cases, it’s all the more important that you just don’t talk to the insurance company for the other party or try to deal with the adjusters on your own. That’s a recipe for real problems for yourself. With all of that, kind of summing it up, if you or a loved one are involved in a situation where you’ve been the victim of a dog bite or dog attack, get the medical help you need. When you start turning to the legal aspects, absolutely get you legal representation. Make sure that you’re getting legal representation that has some experience and a track record of success, not just in litigation of personal injury claims but in litigation of dog bite and dog attack claims. Do not try to talk to that adjuster for the other party or the insurance company on your own. If you focus on these things, it’ll get you on the right track to getting compensated and treated fairly on your claim. I’m Brad Morris, with Brad Morris Law Firm, PLLC. If you’ve been the victim of a dog bite or dog attack injury, or any other type of personal injury, we’re here to help. Reach out to us through our website or give us a call. We’ll try to get you pointed in the right direction and get you the help you need. Thank you.

Were you or a loved one injured from a dog bite in Mississippi and have questions about what to do after a dog bite injury? Contact the experienced Mississippi dog bite injury attorney, Brad Morris, today for a free consultation and case evaluation. We can help get your life back on track. Like Us on Facebook Out of Town Resources These Rochester Dog Bite Lawyers have done a great job creating educational content. If you need help with a dog bite claim in Rochester, we recommend you take a look at their website.