If you have been bitten by a dog, you have likely suffered severe injuries. While most people assume only large dogs can inflict serious injuries, virtually any dog’s bite can cause serious harm. If you have been the victim of a dog bite, you are entitled to compensation. To learn more about this and how a Los Angeles dog bite lawyer from Gutierrez Law can help, here are some specifics as to what damages can be recovered in these cases.

Compensatory Damages
If you have been bitten by a dog in a public place or on any property in which you were not trespassing, including the dog owner’s property, you have the right to sue for compensatory damages. These damages, which fall into the categories of economic and non-economic, contain many options. For example, economic damages most often include medical bills for treatment of the dog bite, lost wages from being unable to work, and the loss of earning capacity should your injuries keep you from working for an extended period of time or even permanently. As for non-economic damages, these include pain and suffering, emotional distress, physical impairment, and any disfigurement or scarring resulting from the bite. If you suffered these damages, turn to a dog bite lawyer Los Angeles residents trust, such as those at Gutierrez Law.

Punitive Damages
In dog bite cases where the damages were extremely severe or there was a malicious nature in part of the dog’s owner, it is often a good idea to work with a dog bite attorney Los Angeles. By doing so, this will allow the court to punish the dog’s owner for their reckless and negligent behavior, as well as send a message to others that behavior of this type will not be tolerated. However, when seeking punitive damages, it is important to remember your attorney will need to prove the dog was instructed by the owner to attack you, the dog had a prior history of attacking other people, or that the owner failed to take reasonable steps to keep the dog from biting you.

Since a severe dog bite can be life-altering, do not let a careless dog owner get by with inflicting physical and emotional suffering on you. Instead, turn to a personal injury lawyer Los Angeles residents know specialize in dog bites, such as Gutierrez Law.