If you would like to discuss your case with an experienced dog bite lawyer Greenbelt MD provides, contact the legal firm of Cohen & Cohen Dog bite attacks can cause serious emotional as well as physical injuries.
Victims of dog bite attacks who have suffered severe emotional or physical injuries as a result may be entitled to compensation. A Greenbelt MD dog bite lawyer can review the details of your dog bite attack and determine the strength of your case as well as possible compensation.
Our dog bite attorneys at Cohen & Cohen provide injured dog bite victims with a free consultation. Call our office today to schedule a no-obligation case review. In addition to meeting with one of our attorneys, you may find the following information helpful.
Emotional Injury Claims
Dog attacks are rarely anticipated which can make the event feel sudden and unexpected. Afterward, the victim may not be able to emotionally function as before because they fear another unexpected attack.
Such emotional turmoil can be so debilitating that the victim cannot live their life except in total fear. The victim’s quality of life may be so adversely affected that their state of mind can lead to additional stresses or injuries such as severe depression.
Legal courts recognize that emotional injuries are real and that damage claims can and should include emotionally-related injuries if they are present and provable. Our attorneys at Cohen & Cohen have helped thousands of victims receive maximum compensation for emotional injuries.
Types of Emotional Injuries
The range of emotional injuries are far reaching. A wide variety of emotional injuries are possible. Though they may heal, these injuries can last months, years, or even become permanent.
A top dog bite lawyer Greenbelt MD offers can recommend a qualified medical professional who can diagnose the victim’s emotional issues. After a dog attack, the victim may suffer from any or all of the following conditions:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Fear of dogs, even their own dogs as well as any other type of animal
- Emotional difficulty with dealing with the disfigurement that resulted from the attack
- Fear of being outside
PTSD
PTSD is very common among dog bite attack victims. It’s a potentially complex condition because it can manifest in a number of ways and the sufferer may present any number and manner of symptoms.
Categories of PTSD
There are three main categories of PTSD and they are:
- Reliving the event. Victims may relive the dog bite attack over and over again in their minds through flashbacks. The flashbacks can occur in dreams or while awake. In an effort to prevent the flashbacks, many sufferers of PTSD will be so fearful of sleeping that they will try to avoid sleeping. The lack of sleep further increases their anxiety.
- Avoidance. Certain situations, people, even a time of day can remind the victim of what happened during the dog bite attack. In an effort to avoid reminders of the traumatic event, they will avoid anything associated with it. This can lead to isolation from others which can be emotionally unhealthy.
- Increased arousal. Physical symptoms may include an increased heart rate, rapid breathing, nausea, or muscle tension. PTSD victims can feel an unnaturally increased sense of certain emotions such as:
- Insomnia
- Anger
- Affection
- Inability to concentrate
- Easily startled or jumpy
- Negative cognitions and mood. After experiencing a dog bite attack, the victim may unfairly blame his- or herself, feel estranged from others, or relive vivid memories of the dog attack.
Common PTSD Symptoms
Victims of PTSD can experience any number of symptoms. Some of the more common symptoms are these:
- Nightmares
- Insomnia
- Flashbacks
- Periods of confusion
- Severe anxiety
- Headaches
- Inability to feel emotions
- Paranoia
- Avoidance of their typical activities or people, even those closest to them
When PTSD is a Basis for a Dog Bite Claim
If the basis of a dog bite claim is that the victim now suffers from PTSD due to the attack, a dog bite lawyer in Greenbelt MD will have to prove:
- The plaintiff suffers from PTSD.
- The PTSD is directly connected to the dog bite attack.
Evidence of PTSD
An experienced dog bite lawyer Greenbelt MD residents turn to for legal representation will use every available piece of evidence to prove their liability claim or lawsuit. This may include:
- Testimony from witnesses who saw the horrifying attack firsthand.
- Hiring a dog bite lawyer Greenbelt MD victims rely on to recover their damages will determine who should testify on behalf of the plaintiff.
- Testimony from witnesses who know the plaintiff and can speak to how the attack affected the victim. How the victim acted before as compared to after the attack can be very telling.
- A PTSD expert can then testify and connect the plaintiff’s current behavior with known PTSD symptoms.
- A medical expert can interview or treat the victim and testify as to the victim’s mental condition as a result of the attack.
- Police or animal control reports from the dog bite attack incident.
- Photographs, medical records, and physician’s testimony can demonstrate the seriousness of the dog bite attack. After hiring a dog bite lawyer Greenbelt MD locals recommend for PTSD claims, the plaintiff should submit copies of all related documentation to the attorney.
- Receipts and billing records for physical and mental treatment for the dog bite victim are evidence of the financial toll on the victim. Future treatment costs can also be entered into evidence. A dog bite lawyer Greenbelt MD attack victims hire can include related future costs in the damages claim.
Cohen & Cohen
Our attorneys offer a free consultation and case evaluation. For more information about how a dog bite attack can cause emotional damage, contact the attorneys of Cohen & Cohen to speak with a dog bite lawyer Greenbelt MD clients trust.
