An attack from a dog or another pet can leave a person with a mountain of medical expenses and/or physical deformities that could affect their personal life. To address these injustices, injured parties are allowed to seek damages in a Manchester dog bite case. Speak with a knowledgeable dog bite attorney if you are looking to compensate for injuries you sustained in an incident with someone else’s pet.
Types of Damages in Manchester
The three main types of damages are economic, non-economic, and punitive. Economic damages account for losses that are easily quantified and measured like medical bills and lost wages. Non-economic damages address subjective losses like pain and suffering, scarring, and other negative impacts on a person’s life that are hard to quantify with a dollar amount.
Punitive damages are those that are designed to punish the defendant for illegal or reckless behavior. These types of damages serve as a warning to others who might attempt it in the future. If the injuries in a local dog attack case are severe, that can lead to a punitive damages award.
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What Damages Could Be Sought in a Dog Bite Case?
Someone who has suffered an animal attack in Manchester could seek damages related to medical bills, therapy sessions, or lost wages due to being unable to work. Additionally, a claimant could receive damages for scarring, pain and suffering, and for any future medical bills or costs that they may incur.
The damage award is generally proportional to the severity of the injury. If there was a minor injury, the award should be small. If it was significant injury, then the award may be higher.
The presence of multiple injuries increases the potential for compensation. If someone suffers both permanent scarring and nerve pain, the case may be worth much more than if there was just some surface-level scarring.
Calculating Compensation Following an Animal Attack
Calculating economic damages is accomplished by tallying up the cost of the medical bills somebody has incurred or by looking at the amount of income they lost while they were recovering. Non-economic damages are determined by listening and learning from the plaintiff what they have gone through. The damages could be measured by working with a focus group or looking at similar verdicts in the past.
The calculations are demonstrated in front of the judge and jury through testimony and documentary evidence such as tax returns, lost wages, or medical bills. An injured person should have a lawyer who could use their experience, familiarity with the court system, and knowledge of medical issues to identify a fair and reasonable damages total for a dog bite case.
Can Plaintiffs Complete the Calculations Themselves?
A Plaintiff could complete the damages calculation themselves but it would be difficult and nuances could be missed. They would need access to data and focus groups to learn how much to ask for in non-economic damages, which an expert could provide. Furthermore, if the plaintiff does not have proper documentation and the costs are not presented properly to the court, they might end up with far less than what they could have received with help from legal counsel.
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Discuss Damages in a Manchester Dog Bite Case with an Attorney
The physical repercussions and emotional trauma from a dog attack could last a lifetime. You should not have to worry about the economic fallout. Speak with a lawyer about the potential damages in a Manchester dog bite case that you might be able to recover. Allow professional legal counsel to handle the day-to-day actions of the case while you recover. Get in touch today to discuss your options.