Will my financial compensation for a dog bite injury include money for my physical pain and emotional suffering?

Iowa’s dog bite law allows an injured person to recover for “all damages” done by the dog. This means that you can recover for the full amount of your damages if you are injured by a dog and you have a right to recover damages pursuant to the Iowa dog bite law.

This Includes Damages for Pain and Suffering

Often, some of the most significant damages suffered in a dog bite injury case are physical pain and emotional suffering. These are known as non-economic damages because you can’t simply submit a bill as to their value. Instead, the value of your pain and suffering damages is more subjective and requires evidence including, but not limited to:

• Your own testimony about the value of your physical pain and emotional suffering. This should include specific examples about how the injury has changed your life.
• Expert testimony, such as from a medical doctor or psychologist, about how the injury has impacted life and about how it is expected to impact your life in the future.
• Other evidence that proves your emotional suffering or the extent of your physical pain.

Some states have caps, or limits, on the amount of non-economic damages that you can recover in a personal injury lawsuit. However, Iowa is not one of those states. Instead, state law allows you to recover for the full amount of your pain and suffering damages, as long as you can prove the value of those damages to the court.

Start Protecting Your Recovery Right Away

Your journey toward a fair recovery starts immediately after you are injured. It is important that you don’t do anything that could inadvertently harm your case. For example, it is important for you to gather and protect evidence, to see the doctors who might help you recover, and to refrain from speaking with the insurance company.

It is also important to speak to an experienced dog bite lawyer who can help you get the full amount of damages that you deserve after a dog bite injury. For more information, or to schedule a free consultation, please start a live chat with us now or call us directly at 1-800-800-5678.