In Iowa, a dog owner has strict liability for any injuries caused by his pet. People who are bitten by dogs in Iowa may seek compensation for all of their damages—including any medical expenses that resulted from the dog attack—as long as they were not committing an unlawful act that directly led to the bite and as long as the dog was not suffering from rabies. Generally, the dog owner’s insurance company will pay for the dog bite damages unless the dog owner did not have applicable insurance in which case the dog owner will be responsible for paying damages directly.
How Is the Value of Medical Expenses Determined?
The value of your medical expenses will generally depend on two things:
- The evidence that you provide. This may include copies of your medical bills and expert testimony about the projected value of your future medical needs.
- The quality of your arguments. You have to convince the insurance company or the court about the value of your medical expenses and fight for a fair recovery.
Of course, before you can recover compensation for medical expenses, you have to ask for it.
When to Request Medical Damages
It is important to talk to an attorney as soon as possible about the cost of your medical expenses and about all of your dog bite damages. If you wait too long, the statute of limitations may take away your right to recovery. Thus, you might have to take action before you have all of your reconstructive surgeries.
An experienced dog bite attorney can help estimate the entire cost of your injury, and fight for your fair recovery of damages. To learn more, please contact us directly at 1-800-800-5678. We would be pleased to schedule a free consultation for you so that you can get the answers to your important questions.