California Dog Bite Attorneys
The Secret to How A California Dog Bite Attorney Like Sebastian Gibson Obtains Large Dog Bite Settlements
How does a California Dog Bite Attorney convince an insurance company to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlement of a dog bite case or claim? An experienced dog bite attorney knows there’s much more that must be done than simply proving liability in a dog bite case. This is how an experienced dog bite attorney should present a dog bite injury to an insurance adjuster, mediator, judge or jury in California dog bite litigation to obtain the best possible result for a dog bite victim.
Contacting California Dog Bite Investigative Agencies
A California dog bite victim’s attorney should ensure that the investigating dog bite agencies are fully involved in investigating the dog bite. In many cases, this means involving the local sheriff’s department as well as the county animal control office and cooperating with them in every possible way and providing them with every possible detail of the incident to show that the victim did nothing wrong and was not trespassing when the dog attack occurred.
One’s client should be encouraged to discuss in detail the dog attack in detail with the investigating officers in their home if possible and to walk with them to the scene of the dog attack. It is my opinion that this should be done without the attorney being present. If an attorney is present, it is likely that the investigator will consider the discussion less valuable than if he or she is able to talk with the dog bite victim alone.
What a California Dog Bite Attorney can and must do before the meeting with any investigative agencies and the dog bite victim occurs, is to have photos printed for the dog bite client to show to the investigators the gruesomeness of the injuries. In serious dog bite cases, a victim’s injuries will usually be bandaged up. An investigator is usually hesitant to ask a dog bite victim to unwrap their bandages. Photos of the injuries, at the hospital or at home with the dog bites and torn skin exposed, however, remedy this problem and can greatly influence the outcome of an investigator’s report.
There are few things more convincing to an insurance company than reading an animal control report which not only discusses and confirms the dog owner’s liability but which also describes the dog bite victim’s injuries as some of the worst injuries the investigating agent has ever seen.
In the event the dog owner requests a hearing to appeal the animal control officer’s determination that the dog is dangerous and vicious and needs to be destroyed, the dog owner plays right into the hands of the dog bite victim. The dog bite victim should be encouraged to attend the hearing along with any and all witnesses to the dog attack.
All of the testimony of the witnesses will be contained in the Administrative Order which can be even more persuasive to an insurance company adjuster that if the case goes to trial, these witnesses will be in court to testify and convince a jury to award even more damages to the dog bite victim.
It is understandable for the victim of a dog bite to be outraged that such an incident should occur such as where a dog owner’s Pitt Bulls attack a person walking their own dog on the sidewalk or on the street. In my opinion, however, being vindictive and demanding a dog’s destruction is not the demeanor a victim should project. Rather, they should present themselves as an innocent victim who simply hopes that this type of injury doesn’t occur to others and who leaves it to the authorities to determine the best way to accomplish that result.
Photos of the Dog Bite Victim in a California Dog Bite Case
As important as getting dog bite reports from the investigating agencies in California are obtaining numerous photos of the dog bites and the victim in the hospital, at home, as bandages are removed and replaced, in treatments such as at infusion centers, and of the scars as they heal or fail to heal properly during the dog bite victim’s course of treatment.
There is nothing more convincing to a jury in dog bite litigation or to an insurance adjuster of the pain and suffering a dog bite victim has endured than dozens of blown up (81/2 by 11) color photos of the dog bite victim’s bloody wounds that document in detail the length of time they took to heal, and the final scars the dog bite victim is left with.
A mistake often made by a California Dog Bite Attorney is not to get photos of their client in the course of their treatment from the very first hospital visit in the emergency room to the changing of dressings at home, treatment at subsequent hospital visits, infusion centers and plastic surgery (if any) and scar revisions along with the final photos of any remaining scars.
Insurance company adjusters will often try to convince a novice attorney that all they need to see are photos of any remaining scars while it is often the photos of the initial wounds and treatment that they are most worried about a jury or mediator viewing.
California Dog Bite Attorney Sebastian Gibson – Taking The Time to Reduce Medical Provider Liens, Hospital Liens, MediCal and Medicare Liens and Health Insurance Liens in California Dog Bite Cases
The California Dog Bite Attorney who fails to make every possible effort to reduce all of the medical liens, government liens and insurance liens does a real disservice to their client.
As much time in preparing one’s case for litigation, mediation or settlement can and should be spent by a dog bite attorney to reduce the dog bite victim’s liens. At the Law Offices of California Dog Bite Attorney Sebastian Gibson we take the time to get these liens reduced so that you, the dog bite victim gets more out of your settlement.
Settlements of dog bite cases can be settled for hundreds of thousands of dollars with little that has to be reimbursed to medical providers, government lien holders and health insurance companies if the client retains the right dog bite lawyer for their case.
The typical dog bite victim has no idea how much time can be involved in seeking reductions of liens and how much more in the way of reductions an attorney can obtain for them than trying to do this themselves.
Obtaining Projections For The Cost of Future Medical Treatment in California
Even if a dog bite victim does not want to go through plastic surgery or scar revision treatment, or is not at the stage when such further treatment would be beneficial, it is helpful to their case to obtain estimated costs of such treatment to present in a mediation or settlement demand package.
In the case of significant scarring, it is important to obtain information from the dog bite victim’s specialists describing not only the medical procedures that may be needed, but also the length of time such scars will be visible and to the extent to which they will be permanent. In the case of a child, a permanent scar can mean a lifetime of first being teased by other school children and then even being shunned by members of the opposite sex or in one’s profession.
A Dog Bite Victim’s Daily Impact to Life Statements and Diaries
A California Dog Bite Attorney in California presenting a demand package or preparing a mediation or trial brief should obtain as much information from their dog bite client as they possibly can which describes how the dog bite impacted their daily life.
The client should describe their fears as they were attacked their anxiety at each stage of their medical treatment, what pain they felt, what they feared would be the end result of how they would look, what side effects the treatment and drugs brought, everything their doctors told them, and the time they had to spend at home and in medical offices undergoing treatment, changing their dressings and worrying day in and day out and the nights they couldn’t sleep as they replayed the dog attack in their head.
It’s important for a California Dog Bite Attorney to encourage their clients to open up about what they felt during the dog attack and in the course of their treatment. Clients are often afraid of either overloading their attorney with information or fearing their lawyer will think less of them if they describe in detail the anxieties and fears they had from the day of the dog bite to the end of their treatment.
Experienced California dog bite attorneys know that it is exactly this type of information which can greatly increase the value of their client’s case. If the dog bite victim was an emotional mess after being attacked by a vicious dog, and often found themselves crying for no reason having lost all sense of security, this is critical information that can have a maximum impact with a judge, jury, mediator or insurance adjuster.
If the client had to go on a frequent basis to an infusion center and it made her cry just seeing all of the other sick people or if she became depressed and didn’t know how she could possibly spend another six or eight weeks of her life going through this, a dog bite attorney needs to know this.
Perhaps the client had a diabetic family member and was remembering what their family member’s amputated leg looked like which made the entire dog bite treatment process all the worse for the dog bite victim. But if the attorney doesn’t bring this out of their client, neither the attorney, the homeowners insurance company adjuster for the dog bite owner, the mediator, nor the judge or jury will ever know.
Did the dog bite fear getting skin grafts? Why? Did the dog bite victim talk to other patients being treated for MRSA for surgeries they had and were they still dealing with their infections? Was that the reason the dog bite victim was so depressed. Or in the case of a widow or widower, did being around so many other sick people take them back to their spouse’s final weeks?
What was going through the mind of the dog bite victim as they had to look at blackened areas on their skin as they healed to a scab. Were they in fear of their skin dying and that surgery would be necessary to remove the affected area and more surgery to cover the muscle and bone?
How does the dog bite victim feel and react now when they are around other dogs. In the case of children especially, are they still afraid? Did the attorney suggest that the parents take their child to see a child psychologist? If the attorney can’t read the psychologist’s scribbled notes, the dog bite attorney should make an appointment to speak with the psychologist to learn what the child told them.
How is the child or adult dog bite victim sleeping now that treatment is complete? Are the nerve endings where the dog bit them still sensitive or numb? Does the skin feel like a piece of rubber now? Does the discoloration make the dog bite victim feel nauseated just looking at it?
What happens when someone brushes up against the area of the body where the dog bites occurred? Does the dog bite victim go into shock? What happens if another person’s dog brushes up against them?
A Dog Bite Victim’s Medical Treatment in California
It shouldn’t need to be said that an attorney should obtain every possible medical record and report and should quote from and discuss each and every date on which the dog bite victim either received treatment or had to treat themselves at home performing tasks such as changing their own dressings.
But a dog bite attorney should also be up to date on the latest medical treatment available to dog bite victims today in California.
In many dog bites, the risk of infection is extremely serious and a client should be encouraged to obtain the best treatment possible to avoid such infection.
One type of treatment which is utilized today is for the dog bite victim to receive infusions of antibiotics at infusion centers and Medicare will pay for such treatment as may a dog bite victim’s health insurance.
A California Dog Bite Client’s Wage Loss Or Time Lost From School
While a dog bite victim’s injuries might not be the type one would expect would keep a client from working, the antibiotics and other medications they may be forced to take may very cost a client their job or at the very least a significant loss of earnings as they deal with the side effects of the medications and the time involved in obtaining treatment.
Students can miss classes and exams in school or in college and children can be even more emotionally impacted, sometimes for years, especially when there is permanent scarring. The great majority of dog bites involve children as do the number of fatal dog attacks.
Pitt Bulls far outnumber attacks by any other breed of dog. Together with Rottweilers, Pitt Bulls account for the vast majority of dog bites, maimings and fatalities over the last decade and a half despite their not accounting for nearly the same percentage of dogs owned in the U.S. While they can still make great pets, the statistics indicate that certain breeds are more likely to cause an unprovoked injury or death.
Pitt Bulls and Pitt Bull mixes, however, are also noteworthy for attacking adults almost as frequently as children. The number of dog bite injuries in California continue to rise each year. It’s important for a dog bite victim to retain an experienced dog bite attorney for their case with a track record of obtaining large dog bite settlements.
Putting The Largest Percentage of A Dog Bite Settlement in a Client’s Pocket
Simply because a dog owner’s liability for the injuries caused when their dog bites another in California is strict, doesn’t mean that a dog bite victim doesn’t need an experienced dog bite attorney to handle their case. If the person handling the dog isn’t the owner, it will also be necessary to prove negligence on their part or knowledge of the dog’s vicious propensities.
The more an experienced dog bite attorney can do to guide their client to the best possible treatment, to document their injuries and their emotional impact and then to reduce the medical and insurance liens, the greater the outcome will be for the client, even after attorney fees, and the happier the client will be.
If you’re looking for an experienced California dog bite lawyer in California, call California Dog Bite Attorney Sebastian Gibson today at (760) 776-1810.
The Right Choice in Personal Injury and Dog Bite Lawyers, California Dog Bite Attorney Sebastian Gibson
When you’ve been the victim of a serious dog bite anywhere in California, finding the right California dog bite attorney is essential to protect your rights and to make sure you obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries and all you’ve been through.
California Dog Bite Attorney Sebastian Gibson offers over 40 years of experience representing dog bite victims and clients who deserve the best in legal representation and is ready to provide immediate assistance to you and yours after a dog attack or dog bite.
When you work with California Dog Bite Attorney Sebastian Gibson, you’re working with someone named a Top Lawyer in Palm Springs Life Magazine year after year after year, and an attorney you can count on who has the determination to obtain a result you can be proud of.
California Dog Bite Attorney Sebastian Gibson has been named a 2024 Top Lawyer by Palm Springs Life Magazine for the 14th year in a row.
