Dog Bites and Attacks

How to Handle Medical Expenses Due to Injuries

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, a slip and fall, a dog attack, or in some other preventable way, the most important thing to do is to get the proper medical care. However, you may find that the bills are starting to pile up. Maybe the injuries were more extensive than you thought at first, or perhaps you were taken to a facility that this not covered by your insurance due to the location of the accident.

So how can you handle the medical expenses? The number one thing is to track all of the expenses closely. These bills prove that you experienced damages as the result of the accident. Now, it is time to hire a personal injury attorney in the state where the injuries occurred. This is vital because you will most likely be dealing with an insurance company.

Insurance companies hire people who are very friendly and charismatic as their adjusters. This gives you the sense that they are working for you and trying to get you the best payout possible to cover your losses. But remember: the adjuster works for the insurance company. Their job is to pay out as little as possible, so you should have someone who knows the law helping you to get what you truly deserve.

San Diego’s Personal Injury Attorneys

At Petrov Law Firm, we are committed to helping our clients receive the proper compensation for their losses. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360 to have an experienced attorney handle your settlement.

Teach Your Children How to Play Nice with Dogs

Millions of dog bites occur each year across America, and hundreds of thousands require medical attention. Some of the worst injuries occur in kids because dogs can quickly attack a child’s face, whereas they often go after the legs in adults. Here are some vital suggestions to help your children avoid accidentally provoking a dog.

• Teach your child the importance of introducing yourself to a dog by letting it sniff you before trying to pet it.
• Don’t leave a young child alone with a dog. This is also true at home. Even the family pet can bite if it feels anxious.
• Teach your child good manners with the pets of others. Not only is it rude to just walk up to someone else’s pet and touch it, but the dog may also view the approach as threatening. Speaking with the owner first to get permission will put the owner, and therefore the dog, at ease.
• Remind your child that there are times they should not try to pet a dog. Dogs are more likely to bite if you wake them suddenly or approach them while they are eating.
• Train your child to deal with a dog that is aggressive. For example, remind them to back away rather than turning to run.

Assistance After a Dog Bite Injury

Despite proper training, sometimes a dog bite can happen. When the injury was caused by someone else’s pet, you should receive compensation for medical bills or other losses. If you or a loved one has been injured in southern California, contact Petrov Law Firm today at 619.344.0360 to get the legal assistance you need.

Keep These Points in Mind if You Have Experienced a Personal Injury

When an individual, business, or public entity causes harm to someone through negligence, compensation is due. This compensation can cover medical bills and other losses, both tangible and intangible. What are some things that you should know if you have been injured in this way?

• If you have experienced any damages at all, you should start a case – Don’t let anyone tell you that your injuries are not extensive enough. Even if your injuries are minor, you could have medical bills. Plus, if you missed any work, you need to be compensated for that. You may even be dealing with emotional trauma due to the accident, such as PTSD.
• Don’t rely on the insurance company to compensate you fairly – The insurance adjuster will be very friendly with you, but they are always on the side of their client. Their job is to pay you as little as possible.
• Don’t sign anything until you consult an attorney – Signing an agreement or accepting compensation may stop you from being able to receive any further compensation in the future, so you want your attorney to go over anything before you sign it.

San Diego’s Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys

Petrov Law Firm has experienced attorneys you can trust if you have suffered an injury in southern California. Whether your injury is from a car accident, dog bite, or slip and fall, we can help you to obtain the compensation you are due. Contact us today by calling 619.344.0360 and let us help you maximize your settlement.

Essential Reasons to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney

If you have experienced an injury due to the negligence of an individual, business, or public entity, you need the support of a personal injury attorney. Here are some essential reasons to hire an attorney rather than trying to negotiate a settlement yourself.

• Your attorney can help you to understand your legal rights – Some things deserve compensation, and others do not. Your attorney can help you to know whether you have a legitimate case.
• A personal injury attorney can review the case with you – This will help you to understand what types of compensation you qualify for and what you will need in order to provide someone else was at fault.
• You don’t want to deal with the insurance company yourself – Personal injury settlements are usually paid out by an insurance company. No matter how friendly the insurance agent sounds, their job is to pay out as little as possible. Your lawyer will help you get what you really deserve.
• Your lawyer will help you review the settlement offer – This will allow you to determine if it is a reasonable offer that you should accept or whether you may want to pursue things in court. Additionally, the settlement may be able to be negotiated out of court.

The Right Personal Injury Attorney in San Diego

Petrov Law Firm has the experienced personal injury lawyers you want in your corner when going up against an insurance company. Contact us today at 619.344.0360 to get your case started, and let us help you to maximize your settlement.

Why Rabies Is a Legitimate Concern After a Dog Bite

Rabies is pretty rare in the US, especially among domesticated animals that are usually vaccinated. However, there is still cause for concern. Here are three reasons that rabies treatments are strongly recommended if you can’t confirm the vaccination status of a dog that bit you.

• Rabies does exist in every state but Hawaii – So you can’t completely write off the possibility that the dog you were bit by had this deadly disease. In fact, the only reason that very few rabies deaths occur in developed nations is because of treatment, not the fact that the disease doesn’t exist.
• You may not be able to tell if the dog has rabies – The classic stereotype is an animal that is foaming at the mouth. Unfortunately, this is a dangerous myth because only some dogs with rabies will experience this symptom. Most animals will just seem to have a case of the flu.
• There is no treatment after symptoms appear – We’re not trying to be alarmist, but there is cause for alarm when it comes to rabies. The issue is that once a patient begins to show symptoms, the disease is too far along to save a person. If you are not 100% sure the dog is vaccinated, you must be treated just in case.

Dog Attack Attorneys in San Diego

Petrov Law Firm has experienced attorneys who can help if you have been the victim of a dog attack and are beginning to see medical bills piling up. Give us a call at 619.344.0360 to get your case started today.

Don’t Get Bit by Making One of These Common Mistakes Around Dogs

If you want to keep yourself safe around dogs, you have to avoid behaviors that are known to antagonize animals. Unfortunately, there are many things that people do around dogs without thinking about how this common household pet may react. Here are some mistakes to avoid, so you don’t unintentionally trigger an attack.

• Yelling – The louder your voice gets, the more anxious a dog will get. You may not even realize how much you have raised your voice during an animated conversation, but the owner’s dog will notice and may react.
• Eye contact – Eye contact is not always bad with a dog, but you have to know when it is considered a challenge. If you are not familiar with the dog, the faster you break eye contact, the better.
• Wearing strong fragrances – Dogs rely a lot on their sense of smell. A strong fragrance can remove their ability to rely on this sense, leaving the dog on edge.
• Face contact – Some dogs like it when you rub their face but not all. If you don’t know the dog well, stick to the shoulders and neck. In fact, it is often best not to pet a strange dog at all.

When a Dog Attack Occurs in Southern California

Petrov Law Firm can help you to receive compensation for pet attacks in the San Diego area. Unless you were trespassing when the attack occurred, a dog bite is almost always covered under the owner’s liability insurance. Call 619.344.0360 today to learn more.

Three Reasons You May Need a Personal Injury Attorney

When you are injured due to the negligence of an individual, corporation, or public entity, you are likely to be dealing with an insurance company to receive a settlement to recoup your losses. Unfortunately, as much as you would hope for the insurance company to treat you fairly, they are more likely to side with their client and try to protect their own money. That’s why you may need a personal injury attorney if you have been injured in any of the following ways.

• Car accidents – This is the most common cause of personal injury cases. Remember that California is a tort state, so if the other driver was at fault, their insurance should be paying. Even if the fault is split, they should be providing a settlement for half of your losses.
• Trip and fall injuries – If the trip or slip was due to negligence on the part of an owner or employee, you should be compensated for the damages.
• Dog attacks – Unless you were trespassing on private property, the owner is always at fault for dog attacks in California. Usually, homeowners’ or renters’ insurance covers liability in this case.

These aren’t the only ways you can end up needing to file a personal injury suit, but they are certainly some of the most common reasons.

San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers

If the accident, injury, or attack took place in southern California, contact Petrov Law Firm today. Just call 619.344.0360 to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney at our San Diego office today!

The Three Requirements for Owner Liability for Dog Bites in CA

When a dog bites someone in the state of California, it is almost always the owner whose liability insurance is going to cover the damages. Here are the three requirements for owner liability for dog bites in California that cover nearly every case.

• The dog bite has caused damages – This is almost always the case with dog bites. If the bite breaks the skin and you can’t get proof of vaccination for rabies, you have to seek emergency medical treatment. Even if the dog is vaccinated, many bites require stitches or other treatment.
• The dog bite has occurred in a public place – When an owner takes a dog off their own private property, they are responsible for everything that happens after that.
• The dog bite has occurred on private property, but you were there legally – The only time an owner is not responsible for a dog bite is if it happens on private property and you are trespassing. If the owner invites you onto the property, they are responsible for keeping you safe, and that includes from their pets.

Fortunately, most homeowners or renters insurance policies include general liability, which will cover medical expenses and other losses. Of course, that means you will have to fight with an insurance company to get a fair settlement.

Getting the Assistance You Need After a Dog Bite in California

Petrov Law Firm is experienced in dealing with insurance companies in the wake of a dog attack. Contact our San Diego office today at 619.344.0360 to get your case started,

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Dog Bites?

The short answer is, yes, it should. However, dog bites are not automatically a specific part of your policy. The bite is a part of your general liability. Homeowners insurance covers a person’s legal liability in general. Therefore, it should cover a dog bite whether the dog was at home when the attack occurred or not.

On occasion, there may be a breed restriction written into the company’s insurance policy. This is up to the owner to know. If an insurance company has this sort of restriction, pit bulls are almost always on the list. In that case, the owner should choose an umbrella policy that will cover any sort of liability or a different insurance company that doesn’t restrict the specific breed they intend to own.

So does that mean the person who gets bit will have to deal with an insurance company to have medical bills covered? In most cases, the answer is yes. Since insurance companies are notorious for giving people the runaround when a settlement is due, it is important to have a personal injury attorney assist you in receiving the full compensation you deserve.

Dog Bite Attorneys in California

If you have been attacked by a dog in southern California and now you see medical bills pile up, Petrov Law Firm can help. Call 619.344.0360 to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer. With our experience in your corner, you can receive the settlement that you deserve from the insurance provider.

Private Couriers Need to Be Careful Around Dogs

Dogs are notorious for attacking the mailman. However, any delivery person should be careful when approaching a home with a dog present. Dogs are territorial and may see you as a threat if they don’t know you. Since private couriers may not go to the same home frequently, here are some quick tips to help you be safe around dogs.

• Be extra careful in the presence of the homeowner – Dogs get even more protective over people than the home itself. Even a friendly dog may get upset if you make a sudden move (like handing a package to someone).
• Remove your earbuds – You want all your senses in play if you encounter a strange dog. Being able to hear the dog coming can prevent you from making a sudden reaction that startles it worse. Being able to hear a growl would let you know to back off.
• Leave the dog alone – Never try to pet a strange dog, even if it seems friendly. You will have plenty of other opportunities to interact with animals in less dangerous circumstances. If a dog does seem agitated, remember that you shouldn’t turn your back.

It is better to call the customer and explain the situation than to receive a nasty bite.

Help for Dog Attack Survivors in San Diego

Petrov Law Firm is here to help if you ever do experience a dog bite. Medical bills can add up fast, and you are likely to be dealing with the homeowner’s insurance company to get a settlement, which is no fun at all. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360, so we can help you maximize your settlement.