Utah Dog Bite Lawyers

Utah dog bite laws demand strict liability. This means that the pet owner is responsible for any injury caused by their pet. Unlike other states, in Utah, a dog doesn’t get one free bite before the owner becomes liable.

It does not matter if the incident was an accident or the dog’s first bite. If there was a bite, then the dog’s owner is responsible (there are a few minor exceptions discussed below).

Typically, dog bite cases are covered by the homeowner’s insurance policy. Insurance companies want to pay as little as possible. This means that insurance companies will sometimes refuse to pay for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, etc.

Having an experienced attorney handle your dog bite case can help ensure that you receive the maximum payment possible under the dog bite statute.

Often a dog bite injury involves a dog owned by a friend or family member, especially when children are involved. This is another reason why you should hire a personal injury lawyer to handle your case. Asking friends and family for compensation for your injuries can be extremely uncomfortable.

You can have a lawyer with experience gently explain the situation to a family member or a friend.

Having an attorney can help your odds of not having to sue to settle the case. Experienced personal injury lawyers know how to present the case to insurance companies so they become more likely to settle.

It is important to remember that as the victim you are not usually seeking compensation from your friend or family member. The compensation is coming from your friend or family member’s insurance policy.

Animal attacks often result in lifelong injuries for victims. The most common injuries from dog attacks are:

• Deep Puncture Wounds – caused by a dog biting down and puncturing a person’s skin. This type of injury can result in severe or minor damage.
• Fractures – caused by dogs jumping on a person and knocking them down. This type of injury can include broken bones.
• Brain Injuries – caused in much the same way as fractures, dogs can jump on a person and cause the person to hit their head resulting in head injuries and brain damage.
• Amputations – if the injury is bad enough, amputation may be required.
• Infection – A dog bite can cause infection.
• Disfigurement/permanent scars – depending on the extent of the dog attack and damage, scars are very common.
• Damage to Tissue and Nerves – puncture wounds that are deep enough can cause lasting damage to a person’s nerves and tissue at the puncture site.
• Death – In 2020 there were 46 recorded deaths from dog attacks in the U.S.

In Utah, dog bite law is fairly comprehensive, resulting in limited defenses that can be raised by dog owners facing a lawsuit.

There is an exemption from liability for trained police dogs who are “reasonably and carefully being used in the apprehension, arrest, or location of a suspected offender or in maintaining or controlling the public order.”

If the dog bite occurs due to the victim’s actions, the owner has certain defenses they can raise. For example, dog owners may argue that the dog bite occurred because of something you did and therefore you are partially responsible for the dog attack.

This is called “comparative negligence,” and can apply if you were provoking or aggravating the dog, causing you to be partly responsible for the injuries.

Instead of a “pure” comparative negligence state, Utah is a “modified” comparative negligence state. This means that if you are less than 50% responsible for the dog bite, the law requires the courts to reduce your money award by a percentage equal to your fault.

For example, if the court finds you 10% at fault and your recovery amount is $20,000, you will only be allowed to collect $18,000. However, if you are found to be 50%+ at fault for the dog bite, you will be prevented from collecting any compensation from the dog owner’s insurance company.

Additionally, if you were trespassing at the time you were bitten, the dog owner could possibly argue that trespassing should limit their liability for your injuries.

If you are the victim of a dog bite attack, you can face lifelong and devastating losses. These losses can include physical injuries, medical costs, emotional suffering, and more.

Dog bite law in Utah exists to protect victims of dog bites.

Good Utah dog bite attorneys will fight for you to make sure that you get the compensation that you deserve. You should contact us as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation. Don’t wait, we want to help you with your dog bite injury case now.

If you’re not sure if you should file a Utah personal injury claim against the dog owner, you can have your dog bite injury case reviewed by our Utah attorney via a free consultation.

Here are the top nine reasons why you should schedule a consultation with a Utah dog bite attorney and bring a dog bite claim or lawsuit.

1 – Find out if you have a good dog bite case

A dog bite attorney will listen to the severity of your injuries, the circumstances behind the dog attack, and then can evaluate the strength of your case.  Every case matters, especially the one where you aren’t sure whether it’s worth pursuing.

Find a good personal injury attorney who handles dog bite victim cases and get them to walk you through your case and explain your options for compensation. Contact us now and we will guide your through your dog bite claim.

2 – We pursue dog bite attack claims with the insurance company

We know how difficult it can be to deal with the dog owner directly. We will contact the dog owner to get their homeowners insurance information. After we gather that information, we will deal with the insurance company.

3 – Insurance often covers dog bites and attacks & an attorney provides the necessary leverage

A personal injury attorney can help determine if there is insurance coverage for your attack. When you file a claim or case, it is helpful to show the insurance company the risk they face if they don’t settle the claim.

Without a dog bite attorney, the insurance company knows that you have no experience.

By scheduling a consultation and using a dog bite lawyer, you get the experience needed to properly fight the insurance company. We deal with everything so that you or your loved one can focus on getting better. This reduces the anxiety and stress from being the victim of a dog attack.

4 – Get help with your medical bills and treatments

Being injured in a dog bite attack may leave you dealing with painful injuries that could require expensive surgeries, continuing medical treatment, and other kinds of therapy to help you heal from the dog bite injury. Even with health insurance, you can face massive financial loss from the cost of necessary medical treatments due to your dog bite injury.

Adding up all of the medical costs associated with dog bites, it is common to have financial losses reaching tens of thousands of dollars or even more if complicated surgeries are needed. Those financial costs and expenses should not be your responsibility.

5 – Recover your lost wages and income

Being severely injured via a dog bite injury or animal attack commonly causes victims to miss days at work. While you may have personal days and sick days that can help cover this loss, that is only temporary. If you have to spend days or weeks at the hospital or at home recovering from injuries, you can face severe income losses and expenses.

The dog bite laws in Utah are here to help dog attack victims. The laws include recovering lost wages after the animal attack and future losses you or your loved ones may face.

By using an experienced Utah dog bite injury attorney, we ensure the correct value is placed on your lost wages and bills, and help you gain a full financial recovery.

We serve all of Utah, including Salt Lake City.

6 – Recover all mental damages and losses

If you are the victim of a Utah dog bite attack and sustained injuries, you probably suffered various losses. Here are some of the mental losses and damages that you may have gone through:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Inconvenience
• Grief
• Anxiety
• Embarrassment
• Emotional distress

Every dog bite claim is different, so it is important that you have Utah personal injury and dog bite lawyers review your claim. Attorneys can provide you an idea of what damages you may be entitled to and answer any questions that you may have.

7 – Attorneys help maximize your total recovery

If you’ve been bitten by a dog in an animal attack, it’s important to remember that the dog owner and/or the insurance company are not interested in making sure that you are made whole. Unfortunately, their interests are usually the opposite.

The insurance company wants to pay as little as possible, and the dog owner wants to protect the dog and their own money.

Because of this, you need to hire a Utah personal injury lawyer. Even if you don’t have to file a claim, your chances of recovering a higher amount are higher with attorneys than trying to handle things by yourself.

Here are a few reasons why this is the case:

• Hiring dog bite lawyers with experience shows the insurance company that you’re serious.
• Having attorneys on your side may prevent the insurance company from low-balling settlement offers.
• If necessary, you will be ready to file your claim in court.
• Having attorneys filing a lawsuit will require the other side to defend the lawsuit and to take on the associated costs.
• Attorneys can provide you with access to the right medical experts to help you with your injuries and any necessary treatments.

The bottom line is the insurance company will know they have to stop playing games. Don’t take less than what you rightfully deserve: hire good Utah dog bite lawyers.

8 – Do everything you can to win

Being bitten by a dog and being a victim of an animal attack can cause enormous financial losses, stress and fear from the animal attack and injury, fear that you may never look the same again, and worry that the same dog may attack other people.

You have a lot going on and a lot to fight against.

Hiring a Utah personal injury lawyer to fight for you is essential. Good attorneys can help you get medical treatment for your injuries and they can help you win your dog bite claim.

9 – Protect others

If an animal hurts someone, it can be classified as vicious or dangerous under Utah law. This can protect the public from future attacks from that dog. It may also help the dog owner understand that their dog is dangerous and may cause injuries in the future.

This puts the owner on notice that they need to properly handle their animal. It can also let the public know that there are dangerous risks associated with the dog.

If you were bitten by a dog, getting help with your claim from a Utah personal injury attorney can prevent the dog from hurting other victims in the future.

You only pay a Creekside Injury Law attorney if they win your dog bite case. This is called a contingency fee agreement. But, not all attorneys offer this arrangement.

We do. You pay nothing… until we win.

This agreement takes the stress off of you, the dog bite victim. In our contingency fee agreement, there are no upfront costs and the consultation is free. The lawyer on gets paid if you get paid at the end of the case.

If the lawyer wins your case, the lawyer will take a percentage of the total amount. This percentage depends on what was done to secure the win. Did the injury claim settle before filing a lawsuit? Did the case settle after filing but before trial? Did the case end after a trial? All of this will influence what the percentage is that the attorneys are owed.

We take less than other lawyers.