Attention Massachusetts Dog Bite Victims: We Help You Make Great Legal Decisions for Your Dog Bite Accident Before You Speak With an Adjuster, Hire a Lawyer, or Sign Any Forms
If you were bitten or attacked by a dog, you came to the right place for immediate help. But now you must take ACTION. You may be stressed out, losing sleep, dealing with the worry of medical bills, and most importantly, dealing with the injuries caused by the dog bite or dog attack. Whatever you do, DO NOT make the situation worse by being a victim for a 2nd time.
Call 617-338-7400 Now for Your Free 5-Point Massachusetts Dog Bite Accident Plan Strategy Session
Be sure to download our free consumer guide, The Truth About Massachusetts Dog Bites before you sign any insurance company paperwork, or meet with an attorney.
In this free guide you will find the following secrets revealed (which insurance companies don’t want you to know about) that will put you ahead of other people that have been injured by a dog:
How insurance companies will trick you if you are not really careful (page 19);
What you absolutely NEED to know to protect yourself (page 27);
What can I expect during the process (page 39).
Man’s best friend provides loving and dedicated companionship. Unfortunately, dogs are also prone to biting innocent people. When these bites occur, very serious, and sometimes permanent injuries may result.
Our dog bite attorneys have achieved many successful settlements over the years for dog bite victims.
We only get paid if your case settles
When dogs attack, their victims are usually defenseless. Bites, puncture wounds, and scarring typically result from these attacks.
Such scarring or disfigurement can be devastating both physically and psychologically. Frequently, the victim develops a fear of dogs that can last for years.
Many of these attacks happen to people that are visitors in other people’s homes. If the visitor is also on-the-clock for an employer at the time of the attack, workers compensation can be triggered.
Children are often the victims of dog bite attacks. Sadly, many children are bitten on the face in these attacks. The physical and mental scars these attacks cause can last a lifetime.
Any dog bite settlement involving a minor must be approved by a judge. This however is a quick and easy part of the overall dog bite claim process.
Massachusetts Dog Bite Insurance Claim Information
Dog bites are personal injury claims. These claims are made against the owner of the dog that bit you. They are called homeowners insurance claims.
The homeowners insurance company for the dog owner provides the insurance for the attack.
If the dog owner does not have homeowners insurance, it becomes difficult to collect damages. In that situation, the dog owner must be pursued personally. If the uninsured dog owner does not have sufficient assets, collecting a settlement becomes nearly impossible.
Many homeowners insurance companies limit or exclude from coverage specific dogs such as pit bulls.
As a Massachusetts dog bite law firm, we are fully committed to recovering full and complete personal injury compensation for our clients. We understand how difficult the experience of a dog bite can be for our clients, both physically and emotionally.
We are here to guide you through this process smoothly so you can focus on healing and recovering from your dog bite injuries.
Dog Bite Accident Client Testimonials
“I would like to say that I am very satisfied with the help and legal assistance i have received from this law firm,5 star.thank you. I would recommend this law firm to anyone who needs legal assistance.” - Mark G.
“Great experience and really good service. I really appreciate Mr. Earley his team for solving my case. Thank you so much. ” - Pooja K.
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“Answered my phone calls when i called him to ask maybe just a quick question or maybe silly one. But was always available and won my case!!” – - Jennessa M
Any dog can bite a human at any given time. Here though are some specific breeds that are more aggressive and more prone to biting and attacking people:
Massachusetts dog bite law is very clear: with few exceptions, if you are bitten by a dog, the owner of the dog is automatically liable to you.
This is called strict liability. As long as the dog bite victim was not teasing, tormenting or abusing the dog, the dog owner is by law automatically liable to you for all damages you suffer from the attack.
These three dog bite defenses do not apply to children under 7 years of age. These types of personal injury cases are covered by the dog owner’s homeowners insurance company.
Dog bite cases against landlords for a bite caused by a tenant’s dog to another tenant, or visitor, are governed by a negligence standard. This is a tougher standard than strict liability.
It is important to know that Massachusetts dog bite law does not require you to be bit in order for you to have a claim. All that is needed is to show that the dog caused you to be injured (even if there was no bite or contact with the dog) in some way. This can arise in some of the following situations:
This typically happens when the dog chases you and you become injured, even in the absence of an actual bite. As long as that is shown, the dog owner is strictly liable for all injuries you sustained.
What to Do After a Dog Bite
Call the police
Get the full contact information for the dog owner, and all witnesses to the attack
All other damages and losses caused by the dog bite/attack
Scarring From Dog Bite Accidents
Scarring is typically the primary, lasting injury resulting from a dog bite. Often scar revision surgery is necessary with dog bite scars, and this is done by a plastic surgeon. Insurance companies sometimes want to wait a year after the attack to make their settlement offer.
That is because it can take that long for dog bite scars to fully mature and heal. Other insurance companies do not require a year-long wait before entering into settlement discussions.
The amount of compensation available for dog bite scarring depends on many different factors. Here are some of them:
The type of scarring
The size of scarring
Amount of scarring
How visible the scarring is
Where on body the scarring is located
Age of victim
Massachusetts Dog Bite Statutes of Limitations
These cases have very strict time limits. You have three years from the date of the dog bite to bring a lawsuit in Massachusetts. This deadline, if missed, will render your claim moot.
Taking action promptly is the key to success with these claims. Delays never serve to help a dog bite claim in any way.
We are the Boston dog law firm that can help you during this difficult time. Keep in mind it is very important with these cases that you not speak with any insurance adjusters that contact you from the dog owner’s homeowners insurance company.
What is the Dog Bite Claim Process?
Once you hire us, we start working on your case. We send a letter of representation to the dog owner in order to find out which homeowners insurance carrier we should be pursuing.
Once the insurance company is identified, we then provide additional information to the insurer on what happened, and the injuries you sustained, in the attack.
We then collect all evidence to support the claim. This includes any photographs of the dog, as well as of your injuries. We then assemble any witness statements, as well as all of your medical records, medical bills, and proof of lost wages.
Next, we put together a demand package and send it to the insurance company. A few weeks later the insurance company will respond with a settlement offer.
The case then will either settle through negotiation, or a lawsuit against the dog’s owner will need to be filed. The lawsuit is filed in either District Court or Superior Court.
Massachusetts Dog Bite Lawyer Settlements
We are lawyers with extensive experience handling these cases. We aggressively pursue for our clients full and fair compensation for their injuries.
Here is a sample of our successful results for these cases:
$250,000 settlement for young boy attacked by a dog at a farm
$85,000 settlement for woman bitten by dog at relative’s home
$33,000 settlement for young girl bitten by dog while visiting friend’s home
We Can Help With Your Case
We are proud of our long history of helping innocent victims of dog bites. We believe in personal, aggressive and effective representation from start to finish. Here are some of the benefits we provide as your dog bite attorney:
Personal representation from start to finish for your dog bite case
Routine status updates on the progress of your case
A tireless commitment to maximize the benefits which you are entitled to
Years of experience with investigating, litigating, and settling all types of dog bite cases
Contact Boston dog bite lawyer for answers to your Massachusetts dog bite attorney questions, even on nights and weekends, and find out more about who we are and what we offer.
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If you were bitten or attacked by a dog, you came to the right place for immediate help. But now you must take ACTION. You may be stressed out, losing sleep, dealing with the worry of medical bills, and most importantly, dealing with the injuries caused by the dog bite or dog attack. Whatever you do, DO NOT make the situation worse by being a victim for a 2nd time.
