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Indiana Area Codes Available
219, 260, 574
Indiana Area Codes Taken
317, 765, 812
Condominium Conversions - The law office of Alexander and Associates specializes in condo conversions and real estate law.
Personal injury attorney lawyer serving Indianapolis and all of Indiana.
Payment of Damages
Payment of Damages in Animal Bite Cases
Sometimes, an injured person does not want to bring a legal action against an animal owner, because the injured person is worried that the animal owner will face economic hardship as a result. In many cases, however, the animal owner does not pay anything. Rather, an insurance company will often cover the expenses of the legal claim. If you have been injured by a, animal bite, contact an attorney to determine your rights. A personal injury lawyer experienced in animal bite litigation can help you learn what your rights are.
Depending on the specific situation, a legal claim resulting from an animal injury may be paid by one or more of the following sources:
Homeowner's Insurance
In most instances, an animal owner's homeowner's insurance policy will cover liability arising from dog bites (and injuries caused by other common household pets) that occur on the owner's property. The average amount of liability coverage in homeowner's policies is between $100,000 and $300,000.
Insurance companies, however, will generally only cover the first incident in which an animal causes injury. Specifically, many homeowners' policies include language that excludes any subsequent claims related to dog bites or other animalrelated injuries. There are also certain insurance companies that refuse to cover specific breeds of dogs, such as Pit Bulls or Rottweilers.
Keep in mind that some homeowners' insurance policies reduce coverage for incidents that occur away from the homeowner's property. For example, some policies explicitly exclude injuries connected to vehicles. So, if someone is walking their dog at the local park, and the dog bites someone, the bite would be covered by insurance, but if the same dog bit someone through the window of a car, that might not be covered.
Car Insurance
Even if a homeowner's insurance policy does not cover a bite that occurs in a car, such bites may be covered by an owner's automobile insurance. Often, both automobile insurance and homeowner's insurance policies will cover an animal bite that occurred in a car (or possibly on a car, if the animal is in the back of a pickup truck, for example). When this happens, both insurance companies usually will argue that the other company is responsible for covering the loss. In most cases, however, this argument does not involve the injured person. It is a matter for the insurance companies to resolve.
Animal Insurance
There are specialty insurance companies that provide insurance for pet owners. As noted above, many insurance companies refuse to cover animalbites after one incident. As a result, a pet owner often has no choice but to look for coverage from an insurance company that specializes in animal coverage.
No Insurance
Even if an animal owner does not have insurance that covers animal bites, you are still entitled to bring a legal claim against the owner to recover your damages. If you feel reluctant to bring such a claim, keep in mind that if the person responsible for your injury does not pay your medical bills and compensate you for your lost income, which could be significant, you will bear these losses alone.
Conclusion
In many cases, animal owners have one or more types of insurance that will cover animal bites, enabling an injured person to receive just compensation for his or her injuries, without causing the animal owner financial hardship. If you have questions about who will pay for your injury, consult a qualified lawyer for additional information. An experienced personal injury attorney can assess your situation and discuss your legal right to compensation for your injuries. Contact your personal injury attorney to arrange a consultation.
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