dog bite

[beech7055]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? il

i was told my dog got out and bite a neighbor. and i was told by my claims adjuster later that she has hired an lawyer. what happens next

 

[AlmostALawyer]

Has your dog ever bit anyone before or been known to act violently? How badly injured was your neighbor? I can't imagine getting an attorney if the damages were not high.

I suppose your neighbor could sue you for negligence. Also, in some circumstances, you are strictly liable for domestic pets if you knew or had a reason to know of a dangerous propensity or trait that was not characteristic of a domestic animal of the kind.

 

[beech7055]

she was bit on the calf. other than barking at the neighbor when she cuts her grass by the fence is the only thing i know about. no never bit anyone before

 

[cyjeff]

Let's try this again.

Has your dog ever bitten anyone or anything else before?

 

[AlmostALawyer]

she was bit on the calf. other than barking at the neighbor when she cuts her grass by the fence is the only thing i know about. no never bit anyone before

How bad were the damages or what did it cost this lady to get treated? I cannot imagine getting a lawyer for a case like this if the damages are low. A calf bite is what like $500 - $1000 bucks? I think that is probably on the high end. Someone might be blowing smoke up your rear in order to scare you. I would think small claims court would be the way to recover. No one gets rich going to court, especially for a case like this.

 

[beech7055]

no, my dog has never bitten anyone or anything before. i was told this info by a claims adjuster that had called me.( that she had gotten a lawyer). i dont know how bad the bite is i just saw her leg was wrapped and i offered to pay the bills. so if a dog bite is 500-1000 dollars and my homeowners insurance pays can i still be sued?

 

[AlmostALawyer]

no, my dog has never bitten anyone or anything before. i was told this info by a claims adjuster that had called me.( that she had gotten a lawyer). i dont know how bad the bite is i just saw her leg was wrapped and i offered to pay the bills.

Do you know what the lawyer and the claims adjuster talked about? Was there a settlement offer? Or was it more along the lines "we've been retained by your neighbor to represent her in this dog bite blah blah blah?"

 

[AlmostALawyer]

so if a dog bite is 500-1000 dollars and my homeowners insurance pays can i still be sued?

If your homeowner's insurance settles the case, there will be a settlement agreement and you should ensure that the agreement states that all further claims regarding the dog bite have been waived....or something along those lines. It is my understanding (someone on here is free to correct me, if I'm wrong) that despite the fact that your homeowner's insurance is paying that its your call as to whether to accept a settlement agreement or not. Thus, you should be able to ensure this language exists in the settlement agreement.

 

[beech7055]

i have no idea. when the claims adjuster called me after the incident i told her i was going to see if she would let me pay her bills instead of filing a claim. but the next day she called back and said the neighbor had gotten a lawyer so she has to file a claim

 

[AlmostALawyer]

i have no idea. when the claims adjuster called me after the incident i told her i was going to see if she would let me pay her bills instead of filing a claim. but the next day she called back and said the neighbor had gotten a lawyer so she has to file a claim

Chances are that this is going to get ugly. Actually, it already has. An attorney is in your future.

 

[ecmst12]

The attorney has already been hired by the insurance company. You have nothing to worry about, other then making sure your dog doesn't get out of your property without your knowledge again (negligent).

 

[Banned_Princess]

Nothing to worry about, it is what insurance is for.

Claims people will handle it all, and when it is all done and over with, and she gets whatever the insurance company is going to give her, she cannot then come and sue you again.

 

[JustAPal00]

I recently saw a dog bite clain where the woman was bit on the arm by a lab. The total claim was just over $70,000. It was a single bite on the forearm with two fang punctures.

 

[AlmostALawyer]

I recently saw a dog bite clain where the woman was bit on the arm by a lab. The total claim was just over $70,000. It was a single bite on the forearm with two fang punctures.

Wow!!! How much were the pain and suffering damages?

 

[JustAPal00]

Wow!!! How much were the pain and suffering damages?

I'm not sure how it broke down. I just saw the total and spoke tothe insured about it. The woman who was bit claimed that she was self concious about the scars on her arm and couldn't wear short sleeves anymore. She also said it was affecting her sex life because she felt insecure with her husband. The insured told me they started asking for just under a million!