Dog bite cases are oftentimes very stressful, and depending on the exact circumstances of the event, getting an outcome in your favor can be difficult. Even if someone’s dog seriously harmed you, there are various factors that might make it difficult to get compensation.
To help navigate the courtroom and increase your chances of being properly compensated, you need to find the best dog bite lawyer possible to represent you.
That can be a challenging task if you haven’t dealt with the legal field much in your life, but today, we’re going to go over 8 tips for choosing the best dog bite lawyer for your needs.
Let’s get started.
1. Check Their Core Qualifications
The first thing you need to do is ensure that you’re dealing with a qualified lawyer with all of their education requirements met, professional training, and professional experience. All of these things are provable, and they will typically be very easily verifiable just by checking the lawyer’s site or asking them outright. Much like doctors who frame their achievements and provide in-depth portfolios of their credentials, lawyers don’t hide their core qualifications or make you look for them.
It’s very unlikely that you’ll even find someone who isn’t properly qualified from an educational or certification standpoint, but it is important to ensure that you don’t hire a lawyer with no real-world experience. That is a plausible scenario, and it can go poorly for you.
2. Dog Bite Specialty
Beyond the core qualifications being met, you also need to ensure that the lawyer you hire specializes in dog bite cases. This is the case for almost any type of court case. You don’t want to hire a lawyer that handles car accidents to work on your medical malpractice case, a Workers’ Comp lawyer to debate civil case with your neighbor, or any of that. You want one with lots of experience working on cases just like yours.
The fact is, the law is extremely complex, and each type of case is subject to its own niche laws. Without specializing in dog bites, a lawyer can be extremely talented in one principle of law, but they can miss very simple details specifically pertaining to dog bite cases. That can cost your case even if you technically deserve justice.
A lawyer will typically list their specialties on their website, and oftentimes, their core specialty is part of their marketing and branding. You’ve probably seen this with a lot of the lawyers who have ads taken out on television.
Of course, don’t look for a lawyer who only has “dog bites” listed as their specialty. Most lawyers work with multiple specialties that are similar to one another.
3. Do They Understand the Seriousness of Dog Bites?
Dog bites are often blown off or undermined as minor situations. In the average person’s life, a dog bite isn’t a serious injury. Overzealous nipping during playtime or when meeting a new person is common. However, when it goes to court, it’s typically far more serious. Even bites that don’t seem to be too serious can have dramatic side effects depending on the shots the dog has gotten, where the bite was, and more.
You want a lawyer who fully understands how serious a dog bite can be. Not only does it mean they’ll be able to present the case appropriately, but it also means that they’ll fully understand what your case is worth.
4. Look at Their History with Dog Bite Cases
Hiring a lawyer is a lot like drafting a new quarterback in football. You have a lot on the line, and you want to know that your lawyer can get you the result you’re looking for.
In the simplest terms, you want a lawyer who wins a lot. If they have a history of losing cases or making bad decisions that leave their clients with minimal compensation, then you don’t want to hire them for your case.
However, don’t just look at their wins. Many cases end in settlements, and no one wins or loses on paper when that happens. Instead, high payouts that resemble what the client was originally asking for are good signs.
5. What Do They Have to Help the Case?
You’re not just hiring a lawyer. You’re also gaining access to all the resources that lawyer might or might not have.
Lawyers can have good relationships with expert witnesses, the ability to get more evidence that you don’t have access to, resources that help you with insurance claims, etc.
See what the lawyer has to offer beyond just representing you in the courtroom.
6. Do They Operate in the Area You Will Be Going to Court in?
Even if all the requirements we’ve laid out so far are there, it won’t help much if the lawyer is states away from your location. Lawyers are typically licensed in the state they live in, and they can’t just handle cases in other states. On top of that, they usually don’t want to travel for cases even if they can take them on.
Let’s say that you can get your preferred lawyer to work with you outside of their normal location. You might not want to. Every jurisdiction is different, judges are different, and in general, you want a dog bite lawyer who has lots of experience with the local court system.
7. How Do You Get Along with Them?
Hiring a lawyer isn’t like hiring a mowing service. You will be working very closely with your lawyer for a fairly long time in a stressful situation, and they will learn very private parts of your life.
You should be able to communicate freely with your lawyer, trust them, and feel almost as if they’re a close friend who wants the best for you. It’s a professional relationship, but you do need it to be one that is open and built on good communication.
8. How Will You Pay?
Finally, you need to know how you’re expected to pay. Some lawyers will require you to pay a set rate for as long as they’re in your service. This ensures they get paid no matter how it turns out.
However, many lawyers also structure their fees to only pay them if you win compensation. If you don’t win, you don’t owe them anything. If you do win, they take an appropriate amount of it.
See how much they want and how they plan to receive payment.
Scott D.DeSalvo: Your Go-to Dog Bite Lawyer
When dealing with the aftermath of a dog bite, having a trusted, experienced lawyer by your side can make all the difference. Scott D. DeSalvo is dedicated to fighting for your rights and ensuring you get the compensation you deserve. Don’t navigate this challenging time alone—reach out today and take the first step toward justice.
