According to the American Animal Hospital Association, approximately 5 million dog bites occur each year in the United States. Of those, approximately 800,000 require medical treatment and 334,000 are severe enough to warrant a hospital visit. Sadly, many victims who sustained severe injuries are small children.
Though the number of dog bites that occur each year is relatively low compared to the number of dogs in the United States — which hovers at slightly more than 76 million — when they do occur, they can be worrisome for victims and their families. They are also often costly.
All dog bites necessitate immediate medical attention to ensure that harmful bacteria do not enter the bloodstream. Beyond that, dog bites can result in severe injuries, extensive medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. Because of the often serious and costly nature of dog bite wounds, the courts allow victims to pursue compensation from negligent dog owners via dog bite lawsuits.
Though dog bite cases are fairly cut and dried, it can take considerable time to reach a settlement with the dog owner or their insurance company. If you or a loved one is the victim of an animal attack, and if you cannot afford to wait for fair and full compensation from your dog bite claim, see how you can benefit from a dog bite lawsuit funding.
Until a person becomes the victim of a dog incident him or herself, he or she cannot truly grasp just how painful, severe, and life-altering dog bite injuries can be. Nor can they grasp why dog bite case legal funding is often necessary for financial support between the filing of a claim to the receipt of the dog bite settlement.
Dogs of all sizes have sharp teeth and powerful jaws, a combination that can result in everything from lacerations to breaks.
Some common dog bite injuries include the following:
For many dog bite victims, scarring remains for the rest of their lives. Some injuries necessitate surgical intervention, while others result in permanent disfigurement and disability.
Moreover, dogs’ mouths carry a myriad of bacteria, some of which can spread dangerous or life-threatening diseases. Those include rabies, tetanus, MRSA, capnocytophaga bacteria, and Pasteurella, each of which can pose serious threats to a person’s health and life. Though many people assume that their risk of contracting an infection from a dog bite is low, the truth is that infection occurs in as much as 10% to 15% of dog bite cases.
Dog bite victims who seek recovery through a dog bite settlement often sustain more than just physical injuries. For many victims, their wounds require extensive and ongoing medical care, which results in sky-high medical expenses. A lengthy recovery period may mean that a victim can go weeks, months, or even years without working.
For victims who sustain permanent disabilities or disfigurement, their injuries could drastically reduce their earning capacity, if not prevent them from working entirely. The combination of extensive medical bills and lost wages can send dog bite victims into insurmountable debt, making an already stressful situation even more so.
If you are all too familiar with the financial consequences of a dog attack, you may hesitate to continue fighting for a full and fair recovery from the at-fault party simply because you do not have the means to do so. Dog bite lawsuit funding can equip you with the resources you need to pay for your expenses while you wait for your case to settle.
In addition to financial consequences, dog bites can leave victims with emotional wounds. Attack victims often develop a life-long fear of dogs and situations that resemble those surrounding the incident. Individuals whose injuries involve permanent scarring or disfigurement may socially isolate themselves, develop confidence issues and live with residual anger. In cases in which victims knew the dogs’ owners — which is often — dog bites could ruin friendships.
Dog bite case legal funding is funding for individuals who find themselves embroiled in a dog bite case in New York and who need monetary support until they either receive a fair settlement or obtain a favorable verdict. Lawsuit funding is, essentially, a cash advance for victims in New York who want to see their cases through to the end and obtain a rightful award but who would otherwise be unable to do so due to monetary constraints.
Unlike with traditional forms of funding, your eligibility for dog bite legal funding does not hinge on your creditworthiness. Rather, it hinges on the strength and value of your dog bite injury case. To qualify for this type of lawsuit funding, you must demonstrate that the following is true:
If you qualify for funding, the amount you receive will depend on the anticipated value of your dog bite settlement, the amount of coverage the defendant has, the evidence for or against you and the extent of your damages.
You can use your pre-settlement funding for essentially any expense for which you cannot pay because of your dog bite injuries.
Those include the following:
The main benefit of this type of dog bite legal funding is that it levels the playing field for injured individuals who do not have deep pockets and who find themselves up against major insurance companies. However, another major benefit is that it is risk-free for plaintiffs.
If your case is successful, you repay what you owe through your dog bite settlement. If it is not, you do not have a legal obligation to repay the debt. Applying for legal funding is also easy, and you may receive a decision within as few as 24 hours.
If you are party to a dog bite injury claim, and if you are cash-strapped because of your injuries, look into dog bite lawsuit funding. It may be the solution you need to see your case through to the end and to a fair settlement. Contact our team at Apex Legal Funding to get started on your application today.