One of the early lessons in any good university’s journalism program is that “dog bites man” is not a story while “man bites dog” has front-page potential.
Dogs biting people or getting into it with another dog is a common occurrence while the novelty of a man choosing to bite a dog is an interesting story worth telling.
Dog bites may be common, but the victims of these vicious attacks deserve to have their stories told. More importantly, they deserve to be compensated for the damages they suffer as a result of negligent pet owners who contribute to these attacks.
Many dog bite victims are children. They face a lifetime of physical and psychological issues and deserve to be supported as they go through the recovery process.
People who are injured as the result of a dog bite have the option of pursing financial compensation through a personal injury claim. A successful claim can result in a settlement or verdict that provides funds to cover damages such as medical costs, pain and suffering, and lost earnings.
One of the worries our clients express frequently is a concern about pursuing a claim when it was a family member’s, friend’s or neighbor’s dog that lashed out. This is understandable. The good news is that claims seek compensation through available homeowners’ insurance policies, not by directly going after the financial resources of dog owners.