Dogs are supposed to be loving and loyal members of your family. They are supposed to be there to cheer you up when you are feeling sad. You put your trust in dogs to be kind and affectionate, so when you are attacked by a dog, it can leave you confused and unsure of what to think. Anytime you are bit by a dog, you deserve to be compensated for your injuries. To make sure you get what you deserve, here are three tips to help you along the way.
Avoid embellishing on your story.
Oftentimes, people end up going overboard when describing their injuries and the incident in general. While it is definitely a stressful and scary experience being attacked by a dog, that doesn't mean you should try to make it sound worse than what it is. You need to stick with the facts. Explain exactly what happened and how it happened. This will make sure that everything is laid out for the court and the insurance company.
Avoid inviting collusion.
Make sure that when you are going into specifics about your case that you are very clear in what you are saying. You don't want to cause anyone to get confused. Confusion will often end up causing your claim to get messed up and could even cost you on your settlement. If the dog attacked you while you were walking down the street, you need to make sure that message is portrayed. You don't want the court to think that you provoked the dog in any way to make them come after you when you did nothing of the sort. Clear and concise communication will go a long way in your claim.
Wait to negotiate your settlement.
While it might be tempting to jump on the first offer that the insurance company gives you, that could end up being the worst mistake you ever make. You want to wait until later on in your case before attempting to negotiate anything. There is no way to know how long your recovery is going to take or what type of treatment you are going to need that early on in your case. You have to give it time to see what is going to develop before trying to settle your claim.
By going through the three tips above, you can make sure you get what you deserve in your dog bite case. For more information, contact an experienced personal injury attorney in Huntington, WV.
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