What do you do after a dog bite accident? How you react plays a role in your outcome both in terms of your health and any compensation owed to you.
Call Someone to Help You Get Medical Care
After a dog bite accident, take the right actions to get the help you need. Your initial step should be to call 911 if you have a significant injury requiring immediate medical care. If not, you may be able to get to the hospital with a friend’s help. Because you don’t know the health of the dog, it’s best not to take chances and to get examined by a qualified healthcare provider.
Call the Dog Owner
If you know who the dog owner is, contact them. Document any information they provide to you. Record what they say if possible. Your goal here is to determine if they will work with you easily and how they will handle the matter. At the very least, you should:
- Inform them of what occurred.
- Get their homeowner’s insurance information.
- Request any information about the dog’s health, such as if it is up to date on shots.
Be sure to note any previous experiences with the dog or any insights the owner shared, such as making statements like, “Oh no, he did it again!”
Call Animal Control
Animal control’s job is to seek out information about what occurred and to ensure you have the info you need to protect your health. Their job is to ensure the community remains safe even when there is a dog that’s bitten someone present. The Omaha animal control officer will provide you with specific information on your rights.
Call Your Dog Bite Lawyer
Never put off calling a premises liability attorney about a dog bite. The sooner you do, the sooner your attorney can represent you in conversations with insurance adjusters or with the owners of the pet.
At the Law Office of Matthew A. Lathrop, PC, LLO, our team is here to support you after a dog bite incident. Call us now for an appointment.
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