Dog Bite Victim? Strengthen Your Personal Injury Case With These Techniques

On average, about 1,000 people end up in the emergency room due to being bitten by a dog on a daily basis. If you are in this predicament you deserve to be compensated for your pain and suffering, loss of income from work, and the bills that get racked up throughout your recovery. An experienced lawyer should be able to negotiate a fair deal without any extensive court dates to attend – here are a few things you can do to strengthen your case and support your lawyer's efforts:  

Ask for Witness Statements

The main witnesses that were present when the dog bit you will certainly come into question by your lawyer (check out sites like http://www.trammellandmills.com if you don't have a lawyer yet), so you probably won't have to do a lot of leg work in this respect. However, you may be able to gain and record some additional insight by talking to people who may have seen what happened but who were not in the immediate vicinity of where the incident occurred.

For example, if you were bitten in your neighborhood you may be able to find neighbors who saw the incident through their window or while they were driving by. By speaking to these people you may learn more about what was going on in the minutes leading up to the bite and the minutes there afterward, which can help to fill in some gaps that might be present in accounts given by immediate witnesses.

Maintain Receipts and Records

One of the most important ways to support your claims for compensation is to keep track of every receipt and record that stems from your injuries. In addition to hospital and physical therapy bills, it's also a good idea to collect:

• Receipts for transportation and gas used for medical treatments.
• Official letters from your boss stating days of work lost due to your injuries, and the income value of those days.
• Receipts for bandages, crutches, and other treatment accessories you might be in need of.

It's essential to make copies of everything so you can give the originals to your lawyer and keep two copies for yourself. This will ensure that if something important is lost, it can easily be recovered.

Document the Healing Progress

By documenting the healing process, the court system will be able to have a clear idea of how long it's taking to get back to work and the lifestyle you were leading before being injured by a dog. For example instead of just saying that you have been unable to work for weeks, you can prove your case through pictures and workplace documentation.

Take photos of your injuries on a daily basis if possible, but at the very least your progress should be visually documented once a week. You should also ask your employer to provide weekly reports on why you can't perform your tasks at work due to your injuries. Having friends and family members document your healing process will solidify your case even further.  

Keep a Daily Diary

As you are recovering, it's helpful to keep a daily diary by recording how you feel physically and mentally throughout the treatment and healing process. Your diary doesn't need to include anything personal – just the aspects of life that pertain to your dog bite injuries. Include doctor visits, the need for pain medications, and changes in sleeping patterns that stem from your injuries. Your lawyer should be able to use your diary to help round out your side of the story when it comes to the pain, trauma, and loss of money that you have had to experience.

These techniques should be easy to implement into your everyday life, and will ensure that your lawyer can fill in any holes that are found within your case.