Casper Dog Bite Lawyers

A dog might be a man’s best friend, but dogs can also cause serious injuries when they bite.

Finding the Right Dog Bite Lawyer in Wyoming

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 4.5 million people suffer a dog bite each year. Of these, about 800,000 seek medical treatment for the bite.

If a dog has bitten you, you should take the injury seriously.

Get appropriate medical care, and then reach out to an experienced Casper dog bite attorney for more information about whether you have a valid legal claim.

Dog Bite Injuries

A dog’s jaws are incredibly powerful, and dogs can exert hundreds of pounds of force when biting you. As a result, many of our clients suffer serious injuries such as the following:

• Puncture wounds
• Bruising
• Nerve damage
• Scarring
• Fractures
• Soft-tissue injuries

If a victim is bitten in the face, then the injuries are particularly horrific.

Some victims lose their ability to see or suffer permanent paralysis of the face.

Although minor dog bite injuries should heal in a matter of months, others will negatively affect the victims for the rest of their lives.

Compensation You Can Receive

A dog owner’s homeowners’ insurance will probably pay out a claim. In 2017, the average dog bite claim was $37,000, though this depends on the severity of your injuries.

If you file a claim, you can receive compensation for the following:

• Medical care, including any ongoing medical care needed to treat your injuries
• Rehabilitation
• Psychological counseling
• Lost wages, if you could not work as you recovered from the dog bite
• Future lost wages if your injuries prevent you from returning to your old job
• Pain and suffering, for the intangible harms caused by the injury
• Emotional distress
• Disfigurement

To help calculate your damages, hold onto all bills for medical treatment and rehabilitation, as well as receipts for prescription drugs, prosthetics, etc. Generally, you can receive 100% of these amounts.

You can also receive compensation for pain and suffering and emotional distress, which is much harder to calculate. Generally, you will receive more in pain and suffering the more serious your injuries are. For example, someone who has suffered blindness or permanent numbness in a limb will receive more than someone whose injuries are temporary.

Likewise, someone who has suffered facial scarring or disfigurement has suffered more and will probably receive more compensation.

Wyoming’s Dog Bite Laws

Wyoming holds dog owners legally liable in many circumstances when their dog attacks.

For example:

• A dog owner can be liable if they negligently allowed the dog to bite someone. Negligence means the dog owner had a duty to use reasonable care to protect people from the dog but failed to do so, leading to a bite. Negligence cases depend on all the surrounding circumstances.
• Dog owners can also be liable if they violate an animal control law and the dog bites someone as a result. For example, failing to put a dog on a leash will qualify if the city has a leash law.
• A dog owner can be liable if their dog has shown a vicious disposition and the owner is aware of it. For example, the dog might have bitten someone before. The owner is then liable for any subsequent dog bite since the owner had notice of the dog’s viciousness.

Also, landlords can sometimes be liable for a dog bite if they were aware that the animal was vicious.

How to Treat a Dog Bite

Dog bites come in all shapes and sizes, from superficial scratches to deep wounds that require immediate surgery.

Follow these guidelines for addressing your injuries.

• If the bite is truly superficial, then wash it with warm water and soap before applying a sterile bandage.
• If you are feeling pain, you can use over-the-counter pain medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
• If the dog broke the skin, which is most likely, then you can also wash the wound at home.
• However, you should also go to the doctor. Dogs carry many different bacteria in their mouths, and the risk of infection is very high.

Your doctor can also determine whether to give you a tetanus booster and/or a rabies vaccine, depending on the dog’s history. You will want these shots soon after the bite, so don’t delay getting to the doctor.

If the wounds are deep with extensive bleeding, apply a compress by using a clean towel or piece of clothing. Also, elevate the affected limb above the heart, which should help reduce bleeding, and call emergency services if necessary for a lift to the hospital.

Information to Gather After a Dog Bite

To receive compensation, you need quality evidence that the dog owner is responsible for the bite.

At our firm, we advise clients to collect the following as soon as possible:

• The name of the dog owner (if known)
• Location of the attack
• The time of day
• Any witnesses to the attack, including their contact information
• A description of the dog (breed, size, color, etc.)
• The dog owner’s insurance carrier and contact information

You should also write down your own memories of what happened, which could play a key role in your ability to get compensation.

The dog owner might claim that you provoked the dog and, as a result, bear most of the blame for the dog biting you.

To help your attorney prove the severity of your injuries, keep medical records and document the emotional fallout from the dog bite.

Small children, in particular, can suffer horrible nightmares after a dog bite, and this emotional distress warrants compensation.

Contact a Wyoming Dog Bite Lawyer Today

Dog bites can cause long-lasting physical and emotional scars.

If you have been bitten by a dog, you deserve compensation to help you put the pieces of your life back together.

At Platte River Injury Law, we represent victims seeking to hold dog owners accountable for the injuries their pets inflict on innocent people.

For more information about how we can help, please reach out to us immediately.

We offer a free initial consultation, which you can schedule by calling 307-224-9378 or submitting an online contact form.