Dog bit off my lip

[lipless]

What is the name of your state? AZ
I was at a friend of mines house when I was petting their dog. The dog bit the upper left half of my lip off. I went to the emergency room and had plastic surgery where they cut my face and stretched the remaining half of my lip over to the left corner of my mouth. My friends are staying with a friend whose corporation owns the house. I dont want to sue but I may have no choice depending on the ammount of work I miss( I teach and cannot talk as my mouth is stitched together) If I do have to sue how much time will I have to decide, do I sue the homeowners insurance even though the dog owner does not own the home, they just live there with the owner. Im really confused

[Ozark_Sophist]

Simplest course of action is to dump everything on a personal injury lawyer unless you want to work directly with the insurance company. To do that, you need the cooperation of the dog owner and the friends of the friend. How long was your friend living at the house? Was the corporate owner aware someone in addition to their employee was living at the house?

You don't sue the homeowner's insurance regardless since the insurance company is neither the dog owner nor the responsible party.

[las365]

You don't sue the homeowner's insurance regardless since the insurance company is neither the dog owner nor the responsible party.

Exactly. Potentially, you would sue the dog owner, the individual who allowed him to stay at the home, and the corporation that owns the home. But there are many questions regarding liability.

The injury you describe is severe and could result in significant damages for disfigurement as well as your medical bills. The key to recovering anything is determining who has liability and whether there is a source for monetary recovery. You should consult with a personal injury attorney.

[lipless]

the part owner of the corporation that owns the house lives in the house. He was the one who let the dog in. He is aware that my friends live their with their dog. He also accompanied me to the hospital and stayed while I had surgery. These are my friends and I really dont want to sue. I do however think that I deserve something for damages and medical bills. I dont want to involve a lawyer but I have no idea how to put a price tag on permanent disfigurement. I would also like to know How long do I have to decide about taking legal action. One of the replies said I may be able to work directly with the insurance co with the cooperation of the other parties. This is what I'd like to do but I have no experience with personal injuries. I dont want to get eaten alive by the insurace co. Nor do I want to take advantage of the situation. Any ideas about what a fair ammount might be? Or how to approach the issue of settlement ammounts? Is there a guide somewhere that estimates what certain injuries should settle for? I know my questions seem rather dumb but I dont want to sue my friends and Im already discovering the mental pain of the world's reaction to my injury.

[las365]

Honey, no one can evaluate your case over the internet. It's too soon to evaluate it, anyway. You need to complete your medical treatment and get whatever reconstructive surgery is possible, get mental health care (PTSD would be a pretty common consequence a serious dog bite; you just mentioned some of the other the mental anguish you will have to deal with).

The most important thing that needs to happen now is that the homeowner reports the incident and you get the claim filed with the homeowners insurance carrier. The carrier will investigate and may or may not accept liability, despite what the owner may want.

You need to talk to an attorney. You will not necessarily have to sue anyone. You need to protect your rights and have someone who is looking out for your best interest. You have to live with the consequences of this for the rest of your life. Take care of yourself. That doesn't mean you don't care about your friends; it means that you are doing what you need to do.

[lipless]

Thanks. I will know more when I go to the DR. Wed. I believe he said the surgery he did was all they could do in a situation like this. He didnt mention any other surgery but he said something about massage therapy. Problem is that I am on public assistence and I doubt they would cover anything cosmetic. I dont even know if they will cover therapy for PTSD. I guess I'll have to make some calls on Monday. Thanks for your help and your advice.

[Blue Meanie]

Originally Posted by lipless

Thanks. I will know more when I go to the DR. Wed. I believe he said the surgery he did was all they could do in a situation like this. He didnt mention any other surgery but he said something about massage therapy. Problem is that I am on public assistence and I doubt they would cover anything cosmetic. I dont even know if they will cover therapy for PTSD. I guess I'll have to make some calls on Monday. Thanks for your help and your advice.

Hopefully you will come back. Please read the link below...If will give you an entirely new perspective on file a law suit. The thread is written by the owner of the dog that bit you.

http://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?t=406425

[lipless]

Thanks for the heads up. You see I am good friends with his wife who totally understands what I am doing. I was her maid of honor at their wedding. It is my friendship with her and the fact that they have kids on the way that makes this all so difficult. My lawyer will probably back out though seeing as how their is no insurance. If that happens I dont know what to do. I guess I can file a lawsuit on my own but I dont have the money for that. I dont even know what court to file in or what to ask for or anything. I just wish he would have the good sense to put the dog down before he loses one of his kids. Thanks for your support!

[gawm]

What kind of dog was it?(just curious)

[lipless]

Retriever/chow mix. Ive heard chows can be mean. I believe it now.

[gawm]

My mom had a chow/lab mix. Most docile dog in the world. It's all how you socialize them.
I wish you all the best with your recovery and hope you get the reimbursement you deserve.

[VeronicaLodge]

Originally Posted by lipless

Retriever/chow mix. Ive heard chows can be mean. I believe it now.

chows can be very sweet and very mean and aggressive, mostly they are UNPREDICTABLE.

[fairisfair]

Originally Posted by VeronicaLodge

chows can be very sweet and very mean and aggressive, mostly they are UNPREDICTABLE.

kind of like people???

or any other animal??

or any other dog??

and this dog was a MIXED BREED not a chow.

[mommyof4]

As a matter of fact, the golden retriever genes thrown in there (if you want to pin the attack on breed) probably played as big of a part as the chow genes.

Golden retrievers are just as unpridictable as any other 'aggressive' breed.

On a side note, and admittedly unrelated to this post, I have a ****er. Contrary to popular belief, ****ers aren't exactly the best family dog in the world. It took demanning him and serious training to get him in line. Just a word of caution, if you have a ****er and a baby that uses a baby swing. Don't leave the dog in the room when the swing is operating. For some reason, the motion of a baby swing seems to trigger ****er aggression.

Okay, hijack over. Sorry.

Seriously....the filter blocked c o cker? as in C O CKER SPANIEL???

[fairisfair]

Originally Posted by mommyof4

As a matter of fact, the golden retriever genes thrown in there (if you want to pin the attack on breed) probably played as big of a part as the chow genes.

Golden retrievers are just as unpridictable as any other 'aggressive' breed.

On a side note, and admittedly unrelated to this post, I have a ****er. Contrary to popular belief, ****ers aren't exactly the best family dog in the world. It took demanning him and serious training to get him in line. Just a word of caution, if you have a ****er and a baby that uses a baby swing. Don't leave the dog in the room when the swing is operating. For some reason, the motion of a baby swing seems to trigger ****er aggression.

Okay, hijack over. Sorry.

Seriously....the filter blocked c o cker? as in C O CKER SPANIEL???

bwahhahahhahahaha

you shoulda tried to say weiner dog.

bwwhahahhahahahhaa

by the way. . . . I have a whole list of things that inspire ****er aggression. bwahahhahahha but I put those **** on purpose. grin..