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The Advantages of Hiring a Lawyer

If you have suffered injuries caused by a dog, you may want to hire a professional who has years of experience dealing with insurance companies to protect your interests. Remember, the insurance company will be doing everything it can to minimize the claim and avoid paying fair compensation to cover the injured person?s past expenses, damages and future needs. Don?t help the adjustor by going it alone. Please give serious thought to hiring an experienced attorney to handle your dog bite injury claim, especially when the injuries are serious or permanent or when they involve significant scarring and/or disfigurement.

Whether a Lawyer is Necessary

Not every case requires a lawyer. How do you know if one is necessary? There are no hard and fast rules about the decision to hire an attorney. But generally speaking, a person usually has to suffer a fairly serious dog bite injury to justify the expense of hiring a lawyer. The economic value of the claim has to be high enough to justify the expense of hiring a lawyer and the costs associated with pursuing a claim.

What is a serious dog bite injury? Well, again there are no hard and fast rules. A serious dog bite injury can require several thousands of dollars in past and future medical expense. But I have also seen serious dog bite injuries when the total medical charges are low, but the injury leaves significant or permanent scarring and disfigurement. In the latter type of case, a significant scar injury, especially one to the victim?s face, can command a settlement figure well into six figures.

In dog bite cases involving children, a lawyer may be advisable. When the child has received permanent scars and/or disfigurement, I usually recommend that the parents hire an experienced attorney. There are other legal requirements involved in child injury claims that will usually justify the involvement of an attorney.

When it comes to making a decision about hiring a lawyer, the reader should remember that each case is different and the decision to hire counsel will depend on the individual facts involved. When in doubt, a dog bite victim should at least consult with an experienced lawyer to learn more about his or her rights and to determine whether hiring an attorney is the best decision. Most reputable attorneys will be upfront about whether a particular case is too small to justify the expense of a lawyer.