Dog bite attacks often result in puncture wounds, lacerations, bleeding, nerve and muscle damage, and these injuries are often accompanied by multiple medical treatments, scarring, and in extreme cases, the loss of limbs, digits, or other body parts, such as an ear or an eye. Disfigurement following a dog attack can not only cause pain and embarrassment, but it can also impact the victim’s ability to work, function normally, enjoy hobbies, or have relationships.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog bite attack, we at America’s Consumer Lawyer are here for you every step of the way to ensure that your rights are protected and you are fully compensated for your injuries and losses, and this includes working on your behalf to ensure a favorable settlement.
Corrective Surgery for Disfigurement
Following a dog bite attack, victims often require corrective surgeries to minimize the effects of the attack. However, these surgeries are not always completely successful, leaving behind extensive scarring and disfigurement that not only affects the victim physically but emotionally as well.
There are a variety of corrective surgeries available after a dog bite attack, depending on the severity and nature of your injury. These surgeries include:
- Dermabrasion – The surgeon will scrape off the outer layer of the skin at the injury site to help smooth the skin and minimize the appearance of scarring.
- Skin graft – This surgery requires the removal of healthy skin from one area of the body and transplanting it to the injured area to minimize scarring and disfigurement.
- Muscle graft – If a dog bite attack was severe and muscle function was damaged, the doctor will attempt to take donor’s muscle and reconstruct the damaged muscle. This surgery is often risky, with rejection common and muscle function rarely restored to full capacity.
- Tissue rearrangement – Tissue rearrangement is less invasive than a muscle graft, instead of using healthy tissue that is adjacent to the injured tissue in an attempt to close the wound.
Dog bite attack victims often require multiple corrective surgeries which are expensive, painful, time-consuming, and may not be completely successful. Permanent scarring and disfigurement can significantly affect your life, but the lawyers at America’s Consumer Lawyer can help.
Compensation for Dog Bite Injuries
To receive full compensation for your dog bite injuries, it is important to be represented by a dedicated and experienced personal injury lawyer. Financial compensation for your dog bite injury depends on a variety of factors including:
- The extent of your injuries and associated medical bills;
- Long term medical treatment that may be required, including assistive devices, pain management, home assistance, and therapy;
- The insurance policy of the liable party;
- Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and/or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The physical and psychological impact of disfigurement can require extensive treatment and can be difficult to fully overcome. Provided that your dog bite attack met the parameters of the Illinois Dog Bite Statute, you may be entitled to compensation for your disfigurement.
Law 510 ILCS 5/16 states:
“If a dog or other animal, without provocation, attacks, attempts to attack or injures any person who is peaceably conducting himself or herself in any place where he or she may lawfully be, the owner of such dog or another animal is liable in civil damages to such person for the full amount of the injury proximately caused thereby.”
This means that to prove that the owner of a dog, or other animals, that has bitten is liable for the bite, the injured party must prove three things:
- The dog or other animal attempted to attack, attacked, or injured the victim.
- The victim had the legal right to be in the place where the attack occurred.
- The dog or other animal was not in any way provoked into attacking.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog bite attack, we at America’s Consumer Lawyer are here for you every step of the way to ensure that your rights are protected and you are fully compensated for your injuries and losses, and this includes working on your behalf to ensure a favorable settlement.
Financial Compensation for Disfigurement
When a person suffers from disfigurement or scarring, they may be entitled to compensation for their injuries, medical bills, and mental anguish. When you are seeking compensation for your disfigurement, there are multiple factors that will come into play regarding your settlement amount.
These factors include:
- The area of the body affected by the disfigurement
- The extent of the disfigurement
- The affect the disfigurement has on your mental state
- The affect the disfigurement has on your personal and professional life
- Loss of mobility and flexibility
- Medical costs
The more prominent the disfigurement and the more medical costs associated with it, the higher the settlement will be. Just like rewards for pain and suffering are subjective, so are the rewards for disfigurement. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help determine what is fair compensation for your case now and for the physical and mental pain, you will continue to suffer in the future.
We at America’s Consumer Lawyer are proud to serve our fellow citizens in personal injury cases, including when you or a loved one has been injured in a dog bite attack, and we are fully committed to protecting your rights and ensuring that the other party is held legally accountable when negligence occurs. We will fight until the very end to ensure that you are fully compensated for all injuries and losses resulting from the accident, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, and you won’t owe us a dime for our services.
We see you as a person, not just a client – and that makes us better at what we do. We listen. We learn your story. And, as we help you get the money you deserve, we go above and beyond in a way most law firms never could and never would. Because we’re not just lawyers. And you’re not just a client. We’re friends, neighbors, family. We’re all people and here at America’s Consumer Lawyer, we put People, First.
Helping our clients is about counseling, advocating, and ultimately solving problems. With years of experience successfully representing the people, not the powerful, we will take care of the insurance adjusters, your medical bills, your property damage, your lost wages, and monitor your treatment so you can focus on healing and getting your life back to normal. Our unique formula has earned us over 900 outstanding client reviews on our website, an A+ BBB rating, and over 120 five-star reviews on Google. Call 888-572-0176, e-mail us at michael@agrusslawfirm.com, or schedule a meeting with us here. We’re here 24/7.
