Bloomington, MN, Dog Bite Lawyer
Dogs might be man’s best friends, but that doesn’t mean they are harmless. These “friends” have powerful teeth and jaws that can put you in the hospital when they bite you. Dog bite injuries can potentially result in thousands of dollars in medical bills. When that happens, you need a Bloomington, MN, dog bite lawyer to help you get compensation for your injuries.
The personal injury attorneys at Tyroler Leonard Injury Law are accomplished Bloomington, MN, dog bite injury lawyers who are eager to help you recover quickly from your injuries.
We understand how stressful the legal system can be, especially when you are in pain and dealing with the stress of the medical system. At Tyroler Leonard Injury Law, a dog bite injury lawyer in Bloomington, MN, will guide you through the legal process toward a swift recovery of monetary damages.
Why Should You Choose a Bloomington, MN, Dog Bite Lawyer from Tyroler Leonard Injury Law?
Rachel Sperling Leonard and Isaac Tyroler are powerful advocates for people who have suffered injuries. We care about clients and their well-being. We know from experience that insurance companies don’t want to pay money to help people recover from their injuries. That is why we vigorously fight insurance companies to help injured people get the money they deserve. Our results include million-dollar settlements and verdicts, leading to hundreds of satisfied clients.
At Tyroler Leonard Injury Law, we understand that you don’t need just an experienced dog bite injury lawyer in Bloomington, MN. You need an attorney you can trust.
We build trust with our clients in numerous ways. Clients are provided with several ways to contact our attorneys, and our multilingual attorneys are available for consultation 24 hours a day. Furthermore, our team keeps clients informed throughout their cases, so they always understand what’s happening.
How We Can Help
Trial Attorneys from Tyroler Leonard Injury Law
If there is one thing that makes the law firm of Tyroler Leonard Injury Law stand out, it is our willingness to go to trial. We have a reputation as zealous litigators who rarely lose a case because we are willing to go to court when insurance companies refuse to negotiate in good faith.
We are often even hired by other law firms to handle cases that need to go to trial. And because the insurance companies know that we won’t back down from a trial, they will often offer a fair settlement to avoid the time and cost of a trial.
Hospitalized Due to a Dog Bite in Bloomington, MN?
Get Money for Hospital Bills with Help from a Dog Bite Injury Lawyer
Even a relatively minor dog bite can have serious consequences. Dogs have sharp teeth and extremely powerful jaws and may carry disease. The St. Paul Animal Field Services recommends you take great care after suffering a dog bite by immediately washing the wound and contacting a medical professional.
A dog bite can easily result in being admitted to Woodwinds Hospital. Common injuries or maladies from dog bites include:
- Broken bones
- Severe lacerations
- Damaged organs
- Severed muscles or tendons
- Diseases like rabies transmitted through the bite.
Prompt treatment from a doctor can be the difference between long-lasting consequences and a relatively quick recovery. But while medical treatment at a hospital may protect you from a lifetime of pain and suffering, it can also be very expensive.
At Tyroler Leonard Injury Law, we have seen many clients hesitate to receive medical care at a hospital for fear of the cost. A dog bite injury lawyer in Bloomington, MN, can help. We are experienced at getting compensation promptly, so you don’t have to worry about paying your bills.
Dog Bite Statistics
According to DogsBite.org, nearly 1,000 people in the U.S. require emergency care, per day, due to dog bites. Over 12,000 of those people end up being hospitalized. This means that Americans are spending millions of dollars per year to pay for the treatment of dog bite injuries.
If you are one of those people, a Bloomington, MN, dog bite lawyer can help you recover that money from the dog’s owner.
How a Dog Bite Injury Lawyer in Bloomington, MN, Can Get You Money for Your Injuries
When you suffer an injury in a car accident, it is usually pretty clear who will pay for your medical expenses. Either your insurance company or the insurance company for the other party in the accident is responsible for paying those expenses. However, a dog bite is different, because a dog doesn’t have insurance, right? At least, that is what most people believe.
As it turns out, a dog does have insurance. Or, to be more accurate, the dog owner likely has insurance. Even though it is very unlikely that the average person has dog bite insurance, nearly all dogs are covered under homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. This means someone else is responsible for paying for your medical expenses if their dog bites you.
But just because you can get money doesn’t mean it will be easy. Insurance companies are notorious for denying legitimate claims or paying you less money than you need to recover from your injuries.
Bloomington, MN, dog bite injury lawyers from the law firm of Tyroler Leonard Injury Law have experience dealing with insurance companies and know how to get you the money you deserve.
When we take your case, a dog bite injury attorney in Bloomington, MN, will press the insurance company for a fair and prompt settlement.
We will present mountains of evidence to show that the dog owner was responsible for the dog that bit you and that the bite seriously injured you. We will also prove how much financial damage you suffered, including medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
If negotiations fail, your dog bite injury lawyer in Bloomington, MN, from Tyroler Leonard Injury Law is always prepared to go to trial. We will fight as vigorously to get you money in court as we do during negotiations. You need the money from the insurance company to recover from your injuries, and we will do everything within the law to get it for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before you speak with a lawyer, you want to be as informed as possible. At Tyroler Leonard Injury Law, we try to answer your dog bite questions before you ask them.
Who will pay for my medical bills resulting from a dog bite injury?
The financially responsible party, which is usually an insurance company, pays medical bills. Compensation in a dog bite claim includes money for economic losses, such as lost wages and medical bills.
As mentioned, insurance company lawyers usually drag these cases out as long as possible. So, to reduce the financial stress victims and their families often feel, our Bloomington, MN, dog bite injury lawyers connect victims with doctors who charge nothing upfront for their professional services.
Furthermore, these highly qualified doctors know how to diagnose and treat all dog bite injuries.
There’s more good news for victims. Our Bloomington, MN, dog bite injury lawyers often negotiate with doctors and reduce their fees. As a result, victims could get to keep more of their settlement money, due to Minnesota’s complex collateral source rule.
Can I make a claim for injuries suffered even if the dog didn’t bite me?
The phrase “dog bite” is often misleading. The knockdown alone, especially when a large dog lunges at a small child, often causes injuries like:
- Broken Bones: A serious knockdown often shatters bones instead of merely breaking them. Since doctors must use metal parts to surgically reconstruct these bones, the recovery period is longer and physical therapy is much more intense. The amount of available damages reflects these extremely serious injuries.
- Back Injuries: Most victims fall on their back, which causes a permanent spine injury. The human spine isn’t a single bone. Instead, it’s a long chain of small bones and nerves. Any misalignment could cause extremely painful injuries that are difficult to treat. That’s often just the beginning. Furthermore, in a serious spine injury case, the lifetime medical bills could exceed $5 million.
- Head Injuries: When victims fall, their brain slams against the inside of their skull. That repeated, violent motion causes permanent injuries which only a combination of brain surgery and physical therapy can treat. Even then, these victims usually suffer permanent, and severe, loss of function.
Scratches are the other common non-bite injury. These scratches may leave permanent physical and emotional scars.
What if I need future scar revision surgery?
Future medical bills are a key component of any personal injury settlement. Since it’s very difficult to reopen closed cases, if the settlement doesn’t fully account for these charges, victims may be financially responsible for them.
Therefore, meaningful settlement negotiations usually do not begin until medical treatment is at least substantially complete. At that point, a Bloomington, MN, dog bite injury lawyer can determine compensation for future medical bills, as well as future pain and suffering.
At Tyroler Leonard, we partner with top-shelf medical professionals to determine future medical bills, if any. Sometimes, doctors only need to review medical records. At other times, they may need to physically examine the victim, as well. We always keep you in the loop about these developments, so you’re never caught off-guard with a last-minute medical examination request.
Am I eligible to receive damages from the owner of the dog?
Minnesota has one of the most victim-friendly dog bite laws in the country. Provocation, which has a very specific meaning in this context, is the only effective defense to statutory dog bite claims.
Usually, provocation is a physical and deliberate act. Legally, aggressive teasing is not provocation. Instead, in Minnesota, provoking a dog is almost like torturing a dog. Furthermore, victims cannot make sudden movements or loud noises and “accidentally” provoke dogs. Insurance company lawyers must usually prove intent to provoke the animal.
This law is so broad that many pet owner jurors object to it. They see it as a financial dog ownership penalty, especially if the animal was a rescue animal with a checkered past. A Bloomington, MN, dog bite injury lawyer has other options in these situations, such as negligence, scienter (knowledge of vicious behavior), and negligence per se.
How long can I wait before making a claim for my dog bite injury?
Usually, in the North Star State, the statute of limitations for injury cases is two years. Generally, the clock begins ticking when the dog bites the victim.
However, in some cases, the law allows a longer waiting period. That’s especially true if the victim develops an infection or another serious condition that isn’t readily apparent.
The delayed discovery rule applies in these cases. The two-year statute of limitations clock doesn’t begin ticking down until victims realize the full extent of their injuries and they connect those injuries with the tortfeasor’s (negligent actor’s) misconduct.
How much money will I receive from my Minnesota dog bite claim?
Settlement amounts usually depend on the facts in the case, the strength of any insurance company defenses, and some non-legal factors.
Medical bills are usually the largest single component of a dog bite settlement. Additionally, there’s usually a direct relationship between the amount of medical bills and the victim’s pain and suffering. To determine noneconomic losses, most Bloomington, MN, dog bite injury lawyers multiply the medical bills by two, three, or four.
We mentioned the provocation defense above. In negligence claims, other defenses are available as well, such as comparative fault and assumption of the risk. Comparative fault is essentially provocation, but it’s slightly easier for insurance company lawyer to prove. Assumption of the risk usually hinges on a warning sign, like “Beware of Dog.”
Motivation to settle may be the most important non-legal factor. If a victim wants to settle a case quickly, a Bloomington, MN, they and their dog bite injury lawyer might accept a lower offer.
Don’t Wait to Contact a Dog Bite Injury Lawyer in Bloomington, MN
Even a Small Delay Can Prevent You from Getting Compensation
As the old phrase goes, time is money. This is accurate when recovering money from an insurance company for a dog bite injury. Every day you wait to contact a lawyer could cost you money.
You need to hire a lawyer quickly if a dog bite has severely injured you. A dog bite lawyer will collect evidence from the incident and help you contact a doctor to get the necessary treatment. This is important for ensuring you get paid for your injuries.
The memory of witnesses fades, and physical evidence like camera footage might be lost if it isn’t intentionally preserved.
Our attorneys will collect and preserve all evidence critical to your case, including getting the contact information for the owner of the dog. If you don’t think to collect that at the scene, the owner could easily disappear, giving you no way to collect your damages.
It is equally important to receive medical attention quickly. The longer you wait to receive medical attention, the harder it may be to prove that the dog was responsible for your medical costs. Additionally, if the injury worsens because you waited, you may not be able to receive compensation.
Speed is of the essence when responding to a dog bite injury case, but so is care. A dog bite injury attorney in Bloomington, MN, from Tyroler Leonard Injury Law will ensure that you act quickly and properly. We know how important it is for our clients to make all of the right moves early so they can collect as much money as possible when damages are paid.
Attorney Isaac Tyroler
Attorney Isaac Tyroler has been a strong advocate for injured people his entire legal career. He has a passion for righting wrongs, and he deeply cares about representing injured clients who may feel overwhelmed or uncertain about how to navigate the legal system. He is compassionate toward clients and aggressive with insurance companies and defendants. He is on the elected Board of Governors of the Minnesota Association of Justice (MAJ), the top personal injury lawyers’ group in Minnesota. And is currently the chair of MAJ’s legislative committee. [ Attorney Bio ]
