Evaluating Dog Bite Injury Compensation: What Amount Is Right?

Dog bite compensation amounts are uniquely based on how the injury impacts the person, including economic and emotional losses plus future needs. You’ll want to calculate the physical, financial, and emotional toll of the incident to articulate what is needed for your recovery. Before accepting the insurance company’s offer or pursuing a dog bite personal injury lawsuit, speak to an attorney for guidance.

For a serious injury from a dog bite, a court may consider economic and non-economic compensatory damages, and it might assess punitive damages for circumstances involving willful or wanton behavior by the pet owner. Here’s what these damages mean:

• Economic damages include past, current, and future medical care, loss of earnings, out-of-pocket expenses, and other financial impacts caused by a dog bite.
• Non-economic damages are intangible losses from pain and suffering, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and mental anguish.
• Punitive damages are assessed by a judge or jury and are designed to punish the pet owner for egregious behavior or to deter repeat offenses.

Dog bite injury compensation amounts for economic losses are fairly straightforward to figure out by tallying receipts, invoices, wage loss reports, and other expense-related documentation, and estimating future costs. What makes dog bite settlements so challenging are the intangible losses—scarring, disfigurement, and psychological harm—which can be difficult to quantify.

North Carolina does not cap non-economic damages for most types of personal injury cases. Still, claims must accurately reflect the seriousness and impact of the bite. An undervalued claim can leave the person harmed without adequate compensation, and an inflated one can reduce the person’s credibility with the courts.

Non-economic damages like pain and suffering may be calculated by multiplying the severity (a factor of 1.5 to 5) by the economic damages, or assigning a per diem amount to each day affected.

Any factor that amplifies severity, recovery length, and life impact can potentially increase dog bite injury compensation amounts. Due to the nature of most animal attacks, victims often face soft tissue injuries and long roads to recovery. Deep puncture wounds can increase risks of bacterial infections, and nerve and ligament damage may require surgery or physical therapy to heal; these factors raise economic damages which influence non-economic outcomes.

The younger the injured person is and the more prominent the bite location, the higher the potential damages claim.

• Claims for Children vs. Adults: Due to their thinner skin, smaller size, lower emotional resilience, children’s cases will often result in greater long-term trauma and higher damages than those involving adults.
• Prominent vs. Less Visible Injuries: Compensation for visible permanent injuries, such as scarring on the face, neck, or other prominent areas, significantly increases the severity of a claim due to the elevated impact on the person’s quality of life, self-consciousness, and future prospects.

In North Carolina dog bite cases, early documentation can play a role in establishing injuries and liability. Certain evidence can be critical to gather early, including:

• Photographs of the injuries, the scene of the incident, and the dog involved can help preserve details that may fade over time.
• Medical records documenting initial treatment, follow-up care, and resulting complications objectively document the bite and injuries claimed.
• Witness statements gathered while the details are fresh can also strengthen a case and support how the incident occurred, the dog’s behavior, and the owner’s actions.

Insurance coverage often becomes a central issue in North Carolina as many dog bite cases involve a homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. Carriers may cover animal attacks in theory, but you may run into exclusions for certain breeds, those with a history of biting, or policy violations. The insured may not have an adequate coverage limit for an incident involving a serious injury from a dog bite that requires surgery or long-term care.

North Carolina observes strict liability for “dangerous dogs” which makes owners liable for injuries caused by an animal with even one past bite incident. But, as with most personal injuries in North Carolina, if the person harmed is found to have any contribution to the attack—for ignoring a ‘Beware of Dog’ sign or provoking the animal, for example—they will be barred from compensation. Navigating the intersection of laws and insurance is consulting a lawyer that specializes in dog bite injuries can be an excellent resource.

Responsibility should fall on the dog owner, and if you’re having trouble getting your injuries appropriately addressed, it may be time to speak with a lawyer. Miller Law Group attorneys are experienced and ready to lend a hand. After an animal attack harms you, you deserve a fair chance at recovery. Contact our team today for a free case evaluation.