An experienced personal injury attorney may be able to help calculate damages after an individual has suffered injuries from a dog attack. Calculating damages in Glastonbury dog bite cases involves analyzing the various economic and non-economic costs that a claimant has suffered. A lawyer could help with determining a specific dollar amount that constitutes appropriate compensation. The calculation may allow an attorney to value a case appropriately before pursuing a claim. If you were injured following a dog attack, reach out to a skilled dog bite lawyer today.
Economic and Non-Economic Damages
Economic damages are calculable losses, such as medical bills, lost time from work, and future medical treatment.
To calculate economic damages, a person can add up medical bills or the number of days they were out of work and what the exact financial impact of those costs was. Non-economic damages are more difficult to calculate and may include pain and suffering, mental anguish, or disfigurement. Lawyers may do research and see what other verdicts exist to give a sense of what non-economic damages are reasonable based on what the injured victim has undergone.
The severity of the injuries is taken into account when calculating damages in Glastonbury dog bite cases. The more serious the injury, the more compensation to which a person is entitled.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are rare in dog bite cases, but they might be awarded in a case where the owner knew the dog had bitten others multiple times in the past and had been warned of the danger. If the owner used the dog to attack someone on purpose, that would be an intentional act that would also expose a plaintiff to punitive damages.
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Litigating Damages in Dog Bite Claims
The jury is involved in calculating damages when the parties cannot reach an agreement through settlement negotiations. If the parties cannot reach an agreement at the end of the case, the trial lawyer will request the specific amounts that they are looking for from the jury. In the closing argument, the attorneys may work through a sample verdict form with the jury so they will understand what the plaintiff is demanding.
The jury can choose to accept that number or not. The jurors will then assess the economic damages and make a decision while taking into account the arguments of each party.
Barring Compensation
If the jury finds that the plaintiff was at fault for a dog bite, they may be completely barred from recovery. If the plaintiff was teasing, tormenting, or trespassing on the dog’s property, then that could be grounds to find that the plaintiff is negligent for their own injuries.
A Lawyer Could Help Calculate Damages in Glastonbury Dog Bite Cases
Potential plaintiffs should know that there are often damages outside of what they might expect for a dog bite case. Calculating damages in Glastonbury cases requires a long-term outlook on the injured victim’s physical, mental, and emotional health.
Unfortunately, many times, a plaintiff’s physical injuries are not fully assessed. They may have nerve damage, permanent scarring, or disfigurement that requires the expertise of a plastic surgeon in the future. An experienced attorney could work to incorporate these factors into a calculation of damages.
