Insurance may cover your injuries from a dog attack

Private homes are common places for dog bite accidents. However, as the dog bite victim you are in a difficult situation. You were visiting a friend or relative when that friend’s or relative’s dog bit you—leaving you in pain, with medical bills, and possibly with lost income. As you consider your options, you may believe that you are either going to have to pursue legal damages from your friend or relative or you are going to have to pay for the dog bite yourself.

There May Be Another Way

You don’t want to hurt your friend or relative, but you also don’t want to bear the financial burden for the dog bite. There is often another way to recover damages, however, when you are bitten in a private home.

The dog owner’s insurance company may be responsible for paying your damages. Specifically, the homeowner’s insurance policy or renter’s insurance policy may be required to pay for your damages unless the policy specifically excludes animal bites. If there is applicable insurance, then neither you nor your friend or relative will be left with the often substantial financial expenses that can result from a dog bite injury.

What to Do Now

You are not dealing with a stranger. Therefore, you likely want to maintain your relationship with the dog’s owner and get the financial recovery that you deserve. Accordingly, it is important to act quickly and carefully. You can explain to your loved one that the relationship is important to you, and that you have hired a lawyer to take care of negotiating a fair recovery with the insurance company so that you can make a fair recovery.

If you would like more information about how to handle a dog bite injury when the dog owner is a friend or relative then we encourage you to contact us directly for a free, confidential consultation. You can reach us any time—24/7—via this website or by calling 1-800-800-5678.

Jason F. Abraham
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Helping car accident and personal injury victims throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa since 1993.