The stereotype that all dogs hate delivery workers may come from a place of humor in movies and television, but there is truth to it. When a dog sees a stranger on their property, there is no telling how they may react to this new person. Delivery workers need to prepare themselves to earn the compensation they need to recover after a dog bites them. Many delivery workers are contractors who are not covered by workers compensation coverage of the company they are delivering for – so the only way to obtain a recovery is through a personal injury claim.
Despite how friendly most dogs are, there are still about 4.7 million dog bites each year. Medical care for a dog bit is expensive, and can also come with additional costs like lost income. Preparing for an injury claim can considerably improve the outcome of the claim.
What victims can do to protect themselves
The first step in maximizing compensation after an accident is documenting everything. The victim of a dog bite would likely be able to collect the following information:
- Name and address of the dog owner: a delivery worker sees a lot of houses every day, and it can be hard to remember where the bite happened after the incident. A victim can ensure later contact by collecting the contact information and address of the owners then and there. Furthermore, many delivery applications delete access to contact information for the person who may be responsible as soon as a product is delivered.
- Filing a report: calling animal control and the police is an excellent method of defending the needs of the victim. Officials will create a report that an attack victim can use as evidence in their claim. Most importantly is that animal control will generally check to make sure the dog was vaccinated. If nobody knows whether the dog is vaccinated then you may be required to undergo a series of painful and expensive injections yourself. Hospitals are generally required to put animal control on notice after bites.
- Record everything: taking pictures or videos of the fresh wound, the dog, the property where it happened, and even the interaction with the owners can become a powerful resource in a victim’s claim. Listen to the dog owner’s comments about whether the dog has acted aggressively before.
- See a doctor immediately: A doctor can review the injury and determine the full range of harm. A doctor’s report also establishes a significant benchmark in case the condition of the bite wound worsens. Infections are a very real concern for the puncture wounds caused by dog bites.
An experienced personal injury attorney can guide a victim through every step of the claim, from beginning to end.
It pays to play it safe
Regardless of how friendly the dog looked, it still has the potential to bite. If you were the victim of a dog bite, act today to protect you tomorrow.
