Dog Bites
Most people don’t think about hiring a personal injury attorney for a dog bite case because they don’t realize that homeowners insurance policies can cover your medical expenses and compensate you for your injuries.
There are many unique laws here in Utah related to dog bites, negligence, and responsibility related to a dog bite.
Having legal representation you can trust to take you through the claims process after a dog bite injury can make it significantly less stressful and ensure you get the compensation needed for your specific case.
Utah Dog Bite Laws
The state of Utah has very specific laws regarding the liability of a dog owner in the event of a dog bite or other dog-related incidents, such as being scratched or sustaining injuries after being knocked over or trampled by a dog. This is known as strict liability, meaning that if a dog causes harm, the owner is responsible.
According to U.C.A. 1953 § 18-1-1, “every person owning or keeping a dog is liable in damages for injury committed by the dog.’ Meaning that regardless of whether or not a dog owner knew or had reason to believe that their dog might lash out at someone, they are still responsible.
If you have suffered from a dog bite that has impacted your life, we are here to help you review your claim to see if you have a viable case.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dog Bite Injury Claims
How long do I have to take my dog bite case to court?
The statute of limitations on a dog case claim is four years. Meaning you have four years from the date of injury to file a claim. If you try to file a case anytime after that, the courts will most likely not grant you a hearing.
Can my dog bite case be settled out of court?
Yes, in the state of Utah the option of arbitration is available for dog bite cases. Arbitration is a legal option that is often cheaper and can allow for faster settlement times.
Is my dog bite case covered through my insurance?
Yes. If the dogs owner has homeowners insurance, a claim can be made and your injuries can be covered. Some homeowners insurances even have a medical pay portion of the policy that specifically covers medical expenses.
Dog Bite Cases with a Personal Injury Attorney Have a Higher Success Rate of Reaching a Settlement
At Johnson Livingston, we take our jobs personally. Our attention and passion has been and always will be focused on our clients. We give each case everything we’ve got. We care about the results our clients receive and we work hard to get to know our clients, their challenges, injury, and their ability to recover and live a good life.
It is well known that insurance companies often offer lower settlements in dog bite cases where an attorney is not present. Dog bite cases can be difficult to prove and it is important to have an experienced attorney on your side to ensure you are being compensated fairly for your losses.
Most dog bite cases are settled when an attorney is involved because the insurance company offers something fair to resolve your claim.
What to do if you are bitten by a dog:
Just as in any case, everything you say and do directly following a dog-related injury is important. Proving dog owner negligence and winning a dog bite case in Utah requires immediate action. Following a dog bite incident, and after ensuring that you are safe and have received medical attention, try and gather as much information as you can.
First and foremost, gather all personal information from the dog owner, and notify animal control. Identify potential witnesses, gather statements, and take pictures. Writing down as much detail as possible about the incident will help our attorneys build your personal injury case.
Steps in the Process for a Dog Bite Case:
1.
Set up free consultation to meet with one of our attorneys and discuss questions and concerns you have about your case.
2.
After discussing your case and determining if we are a good fit, we will schedule a secondary call or in-person meeting to customize an action plan and discuss the preliminaries of your case.
3.
Following our meeting, one of our experienced personal injury paralegals will reach out and ask any follow-up questions and collect any remaining information needed to get your case started.
4.
We will begin to establish your case. This will involve collecting information about the accident (emergency room and Doctors’ visits, insurance requests), gathering documents pictures, and information regarding the location and surrounding environment where the injury occurred, your injury and the treatment plan, etc.
5.
Your attorney will follow up within 30 days to see how your treatment and recovery are going if you have not completed care already. Everything will be documented in detail and your progress will be tracked. We follow up with you at let once a month to see how things are going and to keep you in the loop. Once treatment has been complete then we move onto step 6.
6.
We prepare a demand letter and any other necessary paperwork to send it out to file your claim.
7.
We will monitor the status of your claim, and continue to follow up with you and all necessary parties to keep it going forward. This step typically takes anywhere from two weeks to 30 days.
8.
Negotiations will follow, which can take days or weeks to complete. This is where we may settle if it makes sense for your case, move to mediation or arbitration depending on your specfic case needs.
9.
If we choose to move forward with any case that is filed with the court (Arbitration, Jury Trial) we will take the appropriate steps until your case is complete. This process can be challenging and timely and if or when we reach this step we will take you through to completion.
10.
Move forward with confidence and peace of mind knowing that our attorneys did everything within their power to ensure you were rightfully taken care of for the future.
Here at Johnson Livingston, our experienced personal injury attorneys know how to handle all the details of a dog bite case in Utah. We will walk you through every detail and provide assistance every step of the way, no matter where your case leads.
Pricing and Compensation from Case?
Call: (801) 948-9670
Text: (801) 683-5359
When a claim settles, our fee is 1/3 of the settlement value.
For cases that are filed in the court, or litigated, our fee increases to 40% of any money awarded.
Our fees are standard in the Utah personal injury marketplace.
Areas We Serve in Utah
Davis County
Salt Lake County
Sanpete County
Utah County
Johnson | Livingston, LLC
Personal Injury & Trial Attorneys
195 South Orem Blvd, Suite 1
Orem, UT 84058
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Disclaimer: This website and its contents are intended for informational purposes only and do not intend to provide or replace medical or legal advice.