Accepting money from the animal’s owner is not necessarily a bad thing. If the money offered by the owner is enough to cover all your hospital bills, compensate you for the trauma, and also pay for your future medical expenses (therapy or cosmetic procedures), then accepting the money as settlement is actually a good thing.

There’s just a catch–that kind of offer is hard to come by. In most cases, the at-fault owner and their insurer will negotiate as hard as they can to lower the amount to be received by the plaintiff. In worse situations, they might even fight to avoid liability.

This is why people seeking damages for a personal injury need a lawyer. An attorney can see through ploys by the defendant to reduce the damages and would know the right strategy to counter such moves. An attorney also knows the right and fair amount of settlement that the victim should receive, based on the economic damages suffered and the result in similar cases.

On average, home insurers pay more than $30,000 for a dog bite or attack claims. It’s pretty expensive, and if the claim is taken to court, the expenses could be much higher. If there’s an option to settle, the defendant and his/her insurer would be most likely to pursue that. In such cases, it’s best to have a lawyer to lead the negotiation and look after the plaintiff’s interest.