3 Key Pieces Of Evidence In Dog Bite Cases
If you have been bitten by someone else's dog, filing a lawsuit against the dog's owner — or their insurance company — is the best way to get the damages covered. Yet, while you might think it's easy to prove someone else's dog bit you and that you are deserving of compensation, that's not always the case. You'll need strong evidence to prevail. Here are three key pieces of evidence to gather in preparation for your case.
Photos of Your Injuries
Injuries obviously heal, and with any luck, your dog bite will be healed by the time your case makes it to court. Nothing does a better job of showing just how extensive your injury was than a series of photos. Make sure you take well-lit photos of your injury from multiple angles. If you get stitches, take photos before and after the stitches. Then, document the healing with photos taken every day. This series of healing photos can be used to argue that the bite continued to cause you pain and discomfort however long it took you to fully heal and recover from the injury.
A Medical Report
Have the doctor who treated your dog bite forward a copy of your medical records to your attorney. Make sure the doctor knows that you will be pursuing a personal injury case so that they know to be very detailed in the report. This report will serve as evidence that your injury was, indeed, due to a dog bite -- and that it did actually occur on the day you're claiming it took place.
Information About the Dog
If you were able to snap a few photos of the dog who bit you, that's great. However, even if you were not able to take photos, you should write down as many details about the dog as you can remember right now, while the memory is fresh in your head. Note how tall the dog was, how much you think it may have weighed, its color, its breed (if known), where you saw it, how it acted, where it was when it bit you, and so forth. This information will help verify that the dog you are claiming bit you is actually the one who did the deed. Defendants sometimes try to argue that it was someone else's dog -- so the more evidence you have against their dog, the better.
To learn more about the necessary evidence in a case, talk to a dog bite attorney in your area.