My Friend’s Dog Bit Me | Zinda Law Group’s Dog Bite Attorneys Can Help

It’s vital to seek immediate medical attention after a dog attack, even if a neighbor’s or friend’s dog bites you. Even minor dog bite injuries can lead to infection, scarring, or lasting illnesses. You may not feel like you’ve been significantly injured in the attack, but the impact a dog bite can have on your life worsens without proper care. Our team of dog bite attorneys can counsel you on the legal options for your personal injury claim. 

But what if you know the dog or its owner? Should you be left to pay those medical bills yourself? The awkward reality of reporting the aggressive behavior of a familiar dog leaves more than a few people asking us, what should I do if my friend’s dog bit me? 

What To Do If My Friend’s Dog Bit Me‌ — Key Takeaways 

• If your friend’s dog bit you, seek medical attention as soon as possible, regardless of how mild the injury initially appears. Dog bites can lead to long-term health risks such as infections, rabies, and tetanus.

• Reporting a dog bite doesn’t automatically mean the dog is put down–dogs are typically only euthanized if the dog has rabies, bites multiple people, or caused a serious injury or death.

• Document the incident, starting with the time, date, location, and the details leading up to the dog’s aggressive behavior.

• Contact a dog bite injury lawyer who can help file a claim to receive financial compensation for damages such as medical bills, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, and pain and suffering. 

• Remember, you aren’t using your friend and forcing them‌ — ‌your friend pays their renter’s or homeowner’s insurance good money to cover the damages caused by their pet in such a situation.

Insurance companies will try to guilt-trip you out of filing a claim against your friend, but only so they don’t have to pay your losses. Your friend pays their monthly insurance rates to protect them and their animal by covering these emergency costs. 

This article explains exactly what to do after a dog bite, especially if a friend’s dog bites you. We’ll discuss the importance of hiring a seasoned dog bite injury lawyer who can communicate and negotiate with your friend’s insurance company on your behalf. 

Finally, we’ll review the benefits of a free attorney consultation with our experienced team at Zinda Law Group. We’ll discuss the details of the dog attack and look at your friend’s insurance plan to make sure all your losses are recovered without your friend having to go into their pocket.

Why You Should Hold Your Friend Responsible If Their Dog Bites You 

If your friend’s dog bit you and wasn’t provoked, their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance could be liable for medical expenses, such as stitches, antibiotics, rabies shots, or surgery. Your friend’s insurance is also responsible for lost income or earning capacity and pain and suffering. 

Your friend is responsible for managing their pet, and holding them accountable could inspire them to pay more attention to their dog. Filing a claim with their insurance company might teach your friend a free lesson that could save the dog’s life.

If you eat the cost of your medical bills to protect your friend, they may not take the opportunity to adjust how they manage their pet. Their stressed dog might run away and go hurt, go missing, or bite someone else more severely and get in even more serious trouble. 

If your friend’s dog bit you, holding them responsible may feel awkward for you, but the awkwardness comes from the fact that they failed to manage their dog appropriately. Besides, the pressure isn’t put on your friend to pay for your losses‌ — it’s on their insurance company. 

We suggest a free attorney consultation to go over the specifics of your case and your friend’s insurance policy before you dismiss the idea of holding them responsible. 

Accidents happen. And as any experienced dog bite injury lawyer will tell you, you aren’t asking your friend to pay out of pocket, as they already pay their insurance bill. You’re simply filing a claim with their insurance company to formally request that they provide the service your friend pays them to perform.

How to File a Dog Bite Claim

• Contact an experienced dog bite injury lawyer: a seasoned attorney well-versed in laws regarding dog bites can help you understand your rights and options. Every case is different, and the details matter when figuring out who’s liable. Also, when your friend’s dog bites you, an attorney can communicate with their insurance on your behalf to make it less awkward between you and your friend.

• Conduct a thorough investigation: Once you have a seasoned lawyer on your side, they’ll help you gather evidence to help you tell your story of what happened.

• Negotiation with your friend’s insurance company: Remember, you’re not suing your friend. And you’re not punishing your friend’s dog for their mistakes. You simply ask their insurance company to represent your friend and his dog’s best interests by paying you back for your losses. Your dog bite injury lawyer can negotiate with your friend’s insurance company on your behalf, saving you and your friend the awkward stress and argument of figuring out what’s fair. 

What Damages Can I Recover in a Dog Bite Case?

If your friend’s dog bites you, the financial compensation you’ll receive through your friend’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance company varies based on their policy details. The severity of the injury, including the physical, emotional, and psychological trauma, also impacts what damages you can recover. 

Types of damages dog bite injury lawyers can typically recover for insurance after a friend’s dog bit you include:

• Medical expenses include medication, antibiotics, surgery, stitches, hospitalization, and recovery costs like physical therapy.

• Lost wages or money you missed out on if you couldn’t work because your friend’s dog bit you.

• Loss of earning capacity or the future money you’ll miss out on if the dog bite causes permanent damage.

• Pain and Suffering, or compensation for the anxiety, depression, and mental anguish caused by the physical pain and emotional or psychological trauma that comes with a dog attack. 

What Should I Do If My Friend’s Dog Bit Me? Our Dog Bite Attorneys from Zinda Law Group Can Help

The first step to take if your friend’s dog bit you is immediate medical attention. Follow the doctor’s instructions carefully, including keeping the injury clean and going to follow-up appointments. Save all your medical bills and receipts for prescription or over-the-counter medical products and ointments. 

Once you’ve treated the injuries, schedule a free consultation with a dog bite injury lawyer. Tell the lawyer that it was your friend’s dog that bit you, and they’ll help you look at this insurance policy for options. Keep in mind that you’re not suing your friend, nor are you making this personal. Your friend knows that accidents happen. They purchased homeowners’ or renters’ insurance for these situations. 

We suggest consulting a dog bite injury lawyer before contacting your firm’s insurance company, as they’ll try to guilt-trip you and burden you to save money.

The Zinda Law Group team includes experienced dog bite attorneys who can negotiate with your friend’s insurance company on your behalf. We help our clients pursue the maximum compensation they may be entitled to as a dog bite victim at no cost to you or your friend. We work on a contingency fee basis, where you pay nothing but a percentage of your settlement if we win.

So, let us work out the liability details with your friend’s insurance on your behalf while you focus on your recovery and friendship. Call (866) 695-6382 today for a free consultation with one of our dog bite lawyers.