We advise our clients to never accept a settlement offer in a dog bite case without having an experienced attorney review the offer and help you evaluate whether it suits your needs. Unfortunately, in most cases we find that insurers are attempting to lowball families who’ve been affected by a dog bite, often ensuring that future medical costs, lost wages, and other incidentals that remain to be dealt with be paid for out of pocket. Nationally, it’s believed that fewer than 17% of dog bite cases are ever compensated, and that for those that are, victims receive a small fraction of the money they’re entitled to. In New Orleans, you are eligible to make claims against a dog owner for medical costs, pain and suffering, lost wages, future medical needs related to the bite, which may include expensive interventions like reconstructive surgery, as well as other losses you’ve incurred because of the…Read More
A trip to the emergency room when a child is bitten by a dog can wreak financial havoc on a family, especially they are underinsured or uninsured. Louisiana continues to struggle to find a way to provide affordable health insurance to many, which means that unplanned crises can be catastrophic. The good news is that you have a right to compensation in New Orleans when your child is bitten by a neighbor’s dog. Typically, the neighbor’s homeowner’s insurance company will be responsible for fairly compensating you for medical bills, wages that you or your spouse lost while dealing with the incident, and even making sure you’re protected from future medical expenses related to the injuries, including cosmetic surgery. An experienced New Orleans dog bite attorney works for you, and will see to it that your family recovers as much as possible so your child can heal and your family can move on. At…Read More
It’s always a good idea to consult with an attorney in instances where you may not fully know your legal rights or have all the information you need to make the best decision. Most likely, your neighbor is making a good faith offer to take care of an issue that he or she feels responsible for, but unless you know for certain that there is no risk of future costs or even future injuries from the dog in question, talk to a lawyer about your rights. If you or your child have been bitten or attacked by a neighbor’s dog, the immediate hospital bills may only be the beginning. Especially when children are victims, there can be additional medical expenditures related to the incident in the future, including cosmetic surgery, which often isn’t covered by insurance. Your neighbor isn’t likely to have cash on hand to cover expensive surgeries, which is…Read More
If you or a loved one suffer a dog bite or similar injury, legal recourse will probably not be high on your list of priorities. Far more important than that will be making sure that you and your family are okay, that the injuries are looked at by a professional, and you are getting counseling if needed. When it’s time to deal with the legal implications of the accident, our New Orleans dog bite injury attorneys can help you find out who is responsible and if you qualify for compensation. Call our experienced team at Gertler Accident and Injury Attorneys for more information on how to proceed. Types Of Recoveries And Common Dog Bite Injuries Unfortunately, bills will start to show up, and you need to know if the animal owner can be held responsible for the injuries and how much you can be compensated. The legislation will vary by location, so…Read More
There’s no set cost when it comes to fighting dog bite and other injury cases in New Orleans, but the way the system works in most instances is that the victim pays nothing at all if your attorney doesn’t win. This is what is known as a “contingency fee basis,” where your legal team assumes the financial risk in your case, and is only paid if they win for you. Approaching dog bite and other injury cases this way means several things for you, primarily that if an attorney agrees to take the case, they believe strongly that they can win. It also means that your attorney will make every effort to ensure that the final payout you receive is as high as possible. Research indicates that in most dog bite cases that are settled without an attorney, insurance companies pay out as little as 10% of the real value of…Read More
It’s always a good idea to take every precaution to protect the public after a dog bite in New Orleans. Calling the police also lets you file a police report, so there’s an official record of the incident and the police officer will represent one eye witness to the injuries your child sustained from the dog bite. You should also get appropriate medical treatment for your child right away, and then photograph the injuries as soon as possible. These are all important pieces of evidence should you choose to pursue a claim against the dog’s owner when your child has been bitten by a dog. In order to recoup medical expenses and plan for a future that may require additional therapies, surgeries, or treatments, it may be necessary to consult an experienced New Orleans dog bite attorney. There are more than four million instances of dog bites every year in America, and…Read More
So, what are the dog bite laws in New Orleans? That, and many other questions are what come to mind after a child or other family member was bitten by a dog or some other animal. Along with the immediate concerns of the victim’s well-being, seeking medical attention, and doing what you can to document what’s happened, there will no doubt be questions about legal responsibility and liability. At Gertler Accident and Injury Attorneys, we are here to answer all your questions about animal bites and help you determine if you have a good case. To find out more, call our New Orleans law firm today for a free consultation! Do The Laws On Bites & Injuries Vary Based On Where You Live? Yes, these laws will vary from location to location, so it’s important to know what the particular legislation is in your area. In Louisiana, luckily, the law is clear. With that…Read More
If you’ve been the victim of a dog bite or similar animal injury, then you know just how traumatic and frightening the experience can be. Aside from the immediate effects of the injury itself, there are the lasting effects of scars and disfigurements as well as the possibility for emotional wounds related to the trauma. At Gertler Accident and Injury Attorneys, we are dedicated to making sure you understand your rights and the process of building a case for dog bite injuries in New Orleans. When you’re ready for a consultation, call our experienced team. What To Do Right After A Dog Bite Injury First, your immediate concern is making sure that your medical, emotional, and financial needs are met. You’ll likely have many questions when it comes to legal liability including, what evidence to gather and how to secure the services of a qualified New Orleans dog bite injury attorney. This…Read More
Generally, yes, if you are injured by a dog bite while working on a property and use workers compensation insurance to pay for treatment, that carrier can seek reimbursement when you win a damage claim against the dog owner. This is true of private health insurance carriers as well, and even entities like Medicare. While it may seem counterintuitive that you’d have to repay your health costs after a dog bite, it isn’t a reason to avoid seeking compensation for your injuries caused by a dog bite. When you work with an experienced dog bite attorney in New Orleans, you stand the best chance of collecting full compensation for your injuries, including any medical treatments you may need in the future. When people attempt to negotiate these cases on their own, they typically walk away with only a fraction of the full award possible, and are often stuck receiving bills from insurers that…Read More
If you or your child has experienced a dog bite in New Orleans, it’s best to consult with an injury attorney as soon as you can. You may not yet have a full picture of the types of medical costs the incident will incur over the long term, but a dog bite attorney will be able to develop cost estimates that protect you and your family. Moving a claim forward as soon as possible means that you won’t have to wait as long for your out of pocket costs to be compensated, and you won’t have to delay important treatment options, like cosmetic surgery that may not be covered by insurance. Acting swiftly when you’ve been hurt has a lot of advantages. The longer you wait, the more likely that witness memories will fade or that witnesses may move away or lose interest in participating in a case. Louisiana also applies statutory time…Read More
