With its public parks, open-air restaurants, and proximity to the University of Virginia, many agree that Charlottesville is a dog-friendly town. However, it’s the dogs themselves that aren’t always friendly. That’s why civil remedies exist, paving a path to compensation after someone suffers a dog bite.
Regardless of whether you were tailgating at a Wahoos game or enjoying an evening with friends, you have a reasonable expectation of safety around others’ dogs. If you were bitten by an aggressive dog, the law is on your side, and the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC intends to uphold your legal rights.
Our Charlottesville personal injury lawyers can hold the dog’s owner financially accountable and recover fair compensation for your medical bills and other related expenses.
Understanding your options and securing legal representation is just a phone call away. Call now to begin your FREE claim review.
Why Entrust Your Dog Bite Injury Claim to Our Charlottesville Lawyers?
You don’t want to handle a dog bite injury claim alone. These cases can quickly turn into complex, emotionally charged ordeals that can prove more overwhelming than the incident itself. Since founding his firm in 2004, Attorney Jim Parrish has handled countless dog bite cases involving many types of breeds.
Here is what to know about partnering with our Charlottesville dog bite lawyers:
You Pay Nothing Upfront to Secure Our Advocacy
A dog bite is a serious injury that can throw your life off course. At a time like this, you might have to miss work to attend doctors’ appointments. Concerns over your appearance may prevent you from regularly engaging in your social activities. We don’t want to add to your concerns during this traumatic time.
So, we extend our legal services on a contingency-fee basis. We defer all upfront fees, costs, and retainers. You also don’t pay by-the-service rates or have to worry about making financial sacrifices. A pre-determined portion of your dog bite settlement pays for our help.
Our Charlottesville Lawyers Pursue Fair Compensation for Your Dog Bite Injury
Compensation can’t turn back time and prevent the dog from biting you. Yet, it can offer much-needed relief about your financial stability moving forward. Attorney Jim Parrish and his team seek financial recovery that accounts for your economic and non-economic damages, such as:
- Medical costs. You deserve to access the medical care you require without worrying about cost. Compensation could cover doctors’ co-pays, skin grafts, cosmetic surgery, and antibiotics to prevent infection.
- Lost wages. You may have missed time from work while undergoing medical care. We can seek compensation for your lost tips, bonuses, benefits, and other forms of job-specific income.
- Veterinary costs. You may have suffered a dog bite while trying to protect your own pet from injury. We can include the cost of stitches, surgery, drains, and euthanasia (if applicable) in your case.
- Out-of-pocket injury-related expenses. These expenses can include transportation to and from doctors’ appointments and childcare costs during your recovery.
- “Pain and suffering” and inconvenience. Compensation for this expense acknowledges the emotional trauma and other hardships the injury created.
If you’re wondering how much the average dog bite settlement is, you’re out of luck. There isn’t a database that tracks this information. How much you can recover is unique to your situation. Rest assured, our Charlottesville injury lawyers seek everything you need to rebuild your life after a dog bite. We leave no stone unturned when assessing what constitutes fair compensation for your injury-related expenses.
We Possess a Comprehensive Understanding of Dog Bite Law
The laws that apply to your claim depend on the circumstances of the dog attack. Virginia common law notes that:
- If the dog’s owner knew the animal was potentially dangerous, they are strictly liable for the injured person’s losses. Here, our lawyers don’t have to prove negligence. Instead, we show that you were bitten by a dog, suffered injuries, and deserve compensation for your damages.
- If the dog’s owner had no knowledge of the dog’s aggression, we must prove that they acted negligently. This means showing that because the dog’s owner didn’t control their animal, you were injured and merit financial recovery.
Don’t worry about determining which laws apply to your situation. Our personal injury lawyers rely on their decades of combined experience to guide your claim to a fair outcome. We also rely on our investigative resources, network of field consultants, and understanding of civil procedure to your benefit.
How Our Charlottesville Dog Bite Lawyers Build Robust Cases
After entrusting us with your claim, we waste no time in gathering supporting evidence. Eyewitness testimony, your medical records, and even the dog’s veterinary records can serve as vital information when building your case. Some of our other obligations include:
- Identifying the at-fault party. Often, the at-fault party is the dog’s owner. However, as we noted, every case comes with its own circumstances. For instance, if you were bitten by a dog while at an animal shelter, you could hold the organization responsible.
- Filing your personal injury claim. Filing a claim requires our team to understand the details of the dog bite, along with your compensable damages.
- Negotiating a settlement. Unlike other Charlottesville-area law firms, we don’t encourage clients to accept the first offer they receive. We negotiate a settlement that puts your recovery first, countering low offers and protecting you from bad faith insurance practices.
- Initiating and completing a lawsuit. Under Va. Code § 8.01-243, you have just two years to initiate legal proceedings after a dog bite. While we handle everything your lawsuit requires to reach a fair conclusion, we encourage you to connect with dog bite injury lawyer in Charlottesville us soon after the dog bite. That way, we can build your case in accordance with the state’s deadline.
There are many other “behind the scenes” services that the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC undertakes in your pursuit of compensation. You can learn more about these obligations during your FREE claim review.
Charlottesville Dog Bite Lawyer Near Me 571-229-1800
Partner with a Charlottesville Dog Bite Lawyer Now
Attorney Jim Parrish and his team are available to lead your dog bite injury lawyer in Charlottesville claim and hold the at-fault party accountable. It doesn’t matter whether you were bitten by a pit bull or a Chihuahua; you have financial recovery options under the law.
Call now to connect with our personal injury attorneys. We’re ready to start your FREE claim review today.
Call or Text 571-229-1800 or Complete a Free Case Evaluation form