You may be left with physical scars and emotional trauma after being made the victim of a dog attack. But not just that, while under physical pain and emotional suffering, you may also carry significant financial stressors. Mostly medical-based, these entail the costs of emergency room bills, rabies shots, infection treatments, and surgical procedures. Before you even contribute a cent towards paying these rapidly stacking bills, you must understand your legal privileges in the matter, especially your rights to financial compensation. With all that being said, please continue reading to learn who will be responsible for paying off your medical bills associated with your dog bite injury, and how one of the experienced Monmouth County dog bite attorneys at Wilton Law Firm can make sure that you are not wrongfully stuck with this heavy financial burden.
To understand how your medical bills will work after your dog bite incident, you must first grasp the state of New Jersey’s strict liability regulations. Specifically, this rule states that the owner of a dog is automatically responsible for the injuries they cause from a bite or attack. This holds up regardless of whether the owner knew that their dog was considered dangerous, which shows New Jersey’s zero-tolerance policy compared to other states that recognize what is known as the “one bite” rule.
And so, with this strict liability statute, you, as a dog bite or dog attack victim, need not prove negligence in the incident. Rather, you must simply establish that a bite or attack occurred in the first place and ultimately caused you harm. It is worth mentioning that the law deems a “bite” or “attack” as when the dog’s teeth break your skin or result in your injury.
Notably, most homeowners’ insurance policies cover the costs of medical expenses, lost wages, plastic surgery, and pain and suffering prompted by a dog bite incident. But in the scenario where a dog owner is uninsured, then you may have no choice but to pursue a personal injury claim against them to recover your damages. Or, explore other insurance coverage options, like rental insurance, umbrella policies, or, under rare circumstances, even municipal liability and cite negligent animal control.
Of course, you cannot wait until a settlement or final judgment to get the urgent medical attention you require. So initially, you may have to use your personal health insurance to pay for your necessary medical treatments. Then, once you receive your payout, your insurer may claim part of it in a legal process known as subrogation. Rest assured, though, your hired attorney will work to ensure that you are not deprived of more funds than what is essential or relevant.
If you want the best possible chances at a positive legal outcome, then we suggest you employ the services of one of the skilled Monmouth County personal injury attorneys from Wilton Law Firm. We look forward to serving you.
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