If you have been impacted in an incident where someone else’s dog has bitten you, you might be eligible for a lawsuit which may help you get compensation for the damages occurred. Nonetheless, the downside to this is that if such an incident has occurred, the dog owner or the insurance company liable to pay might just want to argue that you were equally or partially responsible for what led to the accident, or bite in this case.Normally, in cases like these, the dog owners tend to argue that the defendant provoked the dog or he/she was trying to enter forcefully which led to the accident. This is simply a way to shift liability towards the defendant and this is the reason consulting with an injury lawyer in Port Coquitlam before moving to the court is advisable.
While in most cases, this might just be an effort to divert attention to the defendant; there might be times when some liability actually falls with the victim. Was he/she actually trying to enter the premises unattended by the host while a ‘beware of dog’ sign was present on the entry?Did he/she try to befriend the dog or just put their hand on the fence to see the pet? Will these factors affect your claim? Will you be able to file a lawsuit and look forward to a favorable decision? Simply head to a good injury lawyer in Port Coquitlam to get answers to these questions and seek proper advice.
All states have different rules and laws for dog bite incidents. However, states also have a different way to deal with the dog bite victims who share liability with the dog owners for the accident. If there is negligence on the part of the defendants, the courts consider that fact and decide accordingly. Therefore, one should always consult and be accompanied by an injury lawyer in Port Coquitlam when they decide to file a lawsuit. The approaches usually taken by the court to decide liability include:
Pure negligence on the part of defendant: In most cases, the amount of compensation gets decreased by a significant percentage in case the plaintiff is at fault and has been largely negligent during the case. Either ways, you should take help from an injury lawyer in Port Coquitlam before admitting the case.
Modified negligence on the part of defendant: Most states follow the same rule for dog bites. The main difference that is that some states ensure that in case the negligence on the part of the victim reaches 50 per cent, they are not entitled to any compensation at all.
Contributory negligence on the part of the defendant: Few states are extremely stringent in dog bite cases and would deny any compensation to the defendant even if he was partly at fault or had very little role to play in the mishap. A good injury lawyer in Port Coquitlam is something you should invest in if you are looking at building a strong case in the dog-bite incident as he will help you well with your claims. To read more Click Here