Every year thousands of people are bitten by animals. In most of these cases the animal involved is a dog. If you are the victim of an animal attack, you may have a legal right to recover damages from the animal owner or the entity responsible for the animal. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first thing you should do when you are bitten by an animal is seek medical attention. An animal bite can cause serious injury, infection, or even death if it is not treated immediately, especially if the animal that bit you has a disease. Once you have treated your animal bite and plan to take legal action to recover damages, you will need to consult with an attorney experienced in animal bite cases. A lawyer will be able to advise you whether your case has legal merit and what damages you may be able to claim from the pet owner. You should provide your lawyer with all the necessary information about the accident. At a minimum, you should provide the pet owner's name and contact information. If you were unable to obtain this information directly from the pet's owner, his or her neighbor or any witnesses to the accident may be able to provide it. You should also obtain the name and contact information of any witnesses. There are some states that impose “strict liability” when it comes to animal attacks/bites. Strict liability means that the animal owner is responsible for the behavior of his animal and should therefore be liable for any damage caused by his animal. In other states where strict liability is not enforced, an animal owner is liable for injuries caused by his or her pet if he or she knew of his or her pet's "dangerous propensities" or the animal's predisposition to bite or attack. If you live in a state where strict liability is not enforced, your lawyer will have to prove that the pet owner was aware of his pet's dangerous propensities and took no action to keep the pet safe. 'animal away from people. You will not be entitled to compensation for animal bite damages if you were warned by the owner that the animal was dangerous and yet you still proceeded to pet or touch it. A jury can also decide that the pet owner is not liable if you climb over the fence on his property and are bitten by a guard dog, or if a "Beware of Dog" sign was posted but you chose to ignore it. You will also lose your claim for damages if you provoked the animal to attack you. Now that you have determined that the pet owner is legally responsible for his or her pet, you need to determine the severity of the injury suffered by the pet. attack/bite caused. Depending on the severity of your injury, you may be entitled to medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and/or property damage. Punitive damages may also be awarded as long as you can prove that the owner of the animal was reckless or intended to cause harm through the animal he owned. For example, even if the owner knows that his dog is dangerous and can potentially attack strangers, he lets him wander the streets without a leash and without supervision and you get attacked or bitten while walking down the same street; a jury can award punitive damages. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a.