If you suffer a dog bite or other dog-related injury in Illinois, then you will have to pursue your fair recovery by negotiating a settlement with the dog’s owner or the dog owner’s insurance company, or by going to trial.
In 2015, Illinois had the second highest number of homeowners’ insurance claims for dog-related injuries. In that year, 931 claims were made, according to the Insurance Information Institute. The average payout per claim was more than $33,000 and the total amount paid was more than $31 million—and that was just from homeowner’s insurance companies.
If you or a loved one has been hurt by a dog, then the recoveries described above show that you are not alone, but they do not provide you with specific information about your own financial recovery.
What’s Included in a Dog Bite Recovery?
Damages for a dog bite injury may include compensation for past, current, and future…
- Medical expenses. Any healthcare-related costs, including hospitalizations, surgeries, medications, doctors’ appointments and rehabilitation therapies may be compensated.
- Lost income. Any income that you are unable to earn because of your injury may be compensated. This includes lost wages, lost benefits, and any income that you lose if you are self-employed.
- Out-of-pocket costs. Out-of-pocket costs, such as household help, childcare help, and transportation may not be your most significant damages, but they can add up and should be included in your recovery.
- Pain and suffering. Your emotional pain and physical suffering are hard to quantify, but they can be substantial and should be included in your compensation.
You cannot leave it up to the dog’s owner to compensate you for your injuries. Instead, you need to take action.
You Deserve to Make a Fair Recovery If You’ve Been Hurt
In order to get the compensation that you deserve, you will need to secure a negotiated settlement or file a complaint in court before the statute of limitations expires. Take action today by contacting an experienced dog bite lawyer directly at 1-800-800-5678 to talk about your legal options.