- Photograph your injuries. It’s the old adage that a photograph is worth 1000 words. A dog bite photo, a bruise, blood, and torn clothing can be very compelling compared to what a doctor might put in medical records.
- Photograph the dog or animal that attacked you. This can help with identifying the dog or animal. It can also help a jury or insurance company conceptualize your case.
- Get the dog owner’s information. It is very important to get the dog owner’s information. If you were bit by a stray dog with no color than there may be no source of recovery for your injuries. If you let too much time go by after the injury, you may never learn who owned the dog.
- See a doctor. It is always important to see a doctor and have them document your injuries even for something you think could be handled with a Band-Aid. Your medical records become the evidence in the case. Also, the injury may be more severe than you think or prone to infection. You might be injured in another part of your body that you forgot because of the adrenaline after being attacked. Always tell the doctor everything you are feeling.
- Notify animal control. Animal control can check whether the dog has rabies and the dog’s history. Animal control can sometimes tell you whether a dog has a history of attacking people. This could be powerful evidence in your case.
Bonus tip. Check for any surveillance cameras. Cameras are very prevalent in our society from cell phones to consumer surveillance cameras that record to the Internet like the nest cam. It’s not uncommon for a neighbor or business to have a camera pointing towards the street or area of the incident. People will often provide the video if you ask. It is important that you act quickly though because sometimes the video gets deleted after a few days or less. I’ve also found that business owners and neighbors are more sympathetic when an individual is asking for the video closer in time to the incident. They’re less sympathetic when a lawyer is asking for video six months to a year after the incident. So don’t delay and get that video.
As you can see, the key to getting the most for your case is collecting evidence early on.
