How to Handle a Dog Bite Attack from a Family Member’s Dog
Whenever your family gets together, you probably have that aunt, uncle, or cousin who won’t go anywhere without their dog. With all the chaos of a family get-together, it’s not a surprise when the dog bites someone.
Because the dog belongs to a family member, you might be tempted to handle the dog bite attack differently. However, the truth is that you are typically obligated to treat this situation the same no matter whose dog bit you or your child.
Get Medical Treatment
Once you get the dog separated from the person they bit, they need to get medical treatment. At first, this means washing the bite area with soap and water to see if the bite broke the skin. If the bite didn’t break the skin, you can stay at the gathering and don’t need to take this any further, except to encourage the dog’s owner to keep the dog confined for the rest of the day – and not bring the dog back next year.
However, if the dog bite did break the skin, you need to make sure the person gets proper medical attention. Take them to urgent care or the emergency room, though you can take them to their doctor if you can get a timely appointment.
Many family members will likely tell you that the injury isn’t that bad and that you don’t need to go to the doctor. However, neither you nor they are in a position to say that with certainty. Even a doctor can’t necessarily tell how serious a dog bite injury is just by looking. They want to perform some tests for certain types of infections and keep the wound under observation.
Report the Dog Bite
Another thing that family members are likely to say to you is that you don’t need to report the dog bite. However, Colorado dog bite laws require that all animal bites be reported within 12 hours. In fact, the treating doctor will likely make the report for you. If they don’t say they are going to report it, make sure they do – then you have an excuse if family members get mad. Just say the doctor reported it because they had to.
This will, unfortunately, mean that the dog will have to be confined, at the owner’s expense. This is important to check for symptoms of rabies. If the dog doesn’t turn out to show symptoms, and your injury is minor, you might offer to split costs – pool the cost of confining the dog and treating your injury and you and the dog owner each pay half. Only try to make a deal directly with the dog owner if you are very sure that the injury is minor and won’t lead to significant or ongoing medical expenses.
Make a Claim on Their Insurance
If the dog owner doesn’t want to split costs or if the costs are significant and uncertain, it’s best to make a claim on the owner’s insurance policy. Most of the time, dog bites are covered under homeowner’s insurance – they account for one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claims.
In Colorado, dog owners are strictly liable for dog bites under most circumstances. There shouldn’t be any trouble getting the insurance to pay all your related costs from a dog bite injury, as long as the injury is relatively minor and the costs are finite.
Get a Dog Bite Lawyer
We understand that you feel weird hiring a lawyer to sue your family member over a dog bite. The truth is that it’s the best idea for anyone to get a lawyer when they have a dog bite injury. However, if you want to be absolutely sure that you need to get a lawyer involved, do it if any of the following is true:
- Your relative is trying to stop their insurance company from paying you
- Their insurance is refusing to cover any of your current medical bills
- Your condition is ongoing, and you aren’t sure how much it will cost
In these cases, a dog bite lawsuit is the only way you are going to get the money you need to pay your bills. It’s a hard situation, but it’s the truth, and family that really loves you will understand. Besides, most of the time, your relative won’t be paying, their insurance will.
Let Denver Dog Bite Lawyer Brian Pushchak Help
We understand that sometimes a dog bite puts you in a tough place. You might be in conflict with your neighbor, your friend, even your family. However, you might also have significant medical bills that you need to pay. A lawsuit might be the best way to get those bills paid.
At Pushchak Law, we are sensitive to the complexities that can come with a dog bite attack. That’s why our unique Informed Decisions™ Approach starts with listening to you. We want to understand the situation from your viewpoint and know what matters most to you. That way we can advise you about the best possible course of action to achieve all your goals. We value all our clients, and that’s why we make ourselves personally available to you when you have questions, concerns, or decisions about your case. You are always in charge of your case, and you have the power to make all the decisions, so it never has to get out of control or hostile.
Want to know how we can help you handle a dog bite attack when the situation is delicate? Please contact Pushchak Law today for a free initial consultation. We serve clients in Denver and the surrounding areas.
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