Call for a Free Consultation
Call for a Free Consultation
Attorney John Eliasik has more than 17 years of experience in personal injury and premises liability claims, including several years working on behalf of the insurance companies. This gives him an “insider look” at how the insurance company will attempt to fight against your claim. Mr. Eliasik is also an accomplished trial lawyer who will fully advocate on your behalf for a favorable outcome, both in and out of the courtroom.
Our dog bite attorneys in Chicago located right here in Chicago know the gravity of a seemingly small thing like a dog bit. We know even a small dog-bite can have big consequences.
To cite some dog bite statistics, an average of 35 people die each year from dog bites. That is 35 people too many. There are 4.5 million American dog bite victims each year, according to the CDC. And 316,200 of those victims wind up in hospital emergency departments, according to the AHRQ. Many of these people require surgery and many of these injuries happen on the job.
We have experience in these matters and we can help you when you need a dog bite injury attorney in Chicago.
(Looking for information on a slip-and-fall situation? Read this.)
Many people we have worked with have been left with expensive medical bills and physical and emotional trauma after going to the emergency room for a dog bite. There’s always confusion over who should pay for the medical bills and other damages. To make matters worse, most bites are from a dog that belongs to the victim’s family or friends. However, it is important to recognize that in a lawsuit, it isn’t the dog-owner who will be paying — it is the dog owner’s insurance company.
To receive compensation, most people start by doing some online research. When you’re ready, it’s important to contact a Chicago dog bite lawyer right away, because we help you with arranging doctor’s visits and other related matters. We’ll sit down with you and have a simple conversation about the events and the bite. If we determine it’s a case we can help you with then we begin working on it, usually by filing a claim against the dog owner’s insurance company. If the dog owner doesn’t have an insurance policy that covers this type of thing, we’ll help you decide if you should file a claim against him personally. But usually dog bites are covered by homeowner’s insurance.
It’s important to note that we do all of this with no upfront charge to you. You can come in and talk with us for free. We only get paid if you get paid. More specifically: if we win the case for you then our fee comes out of those winnings. This is called a contingency fee; you may have heard of it. It’s a great deal for you because it allows you to pursue your case with no risk and no upfront cost.
(You can use this online form to get started.)
The state of Illinois is friendly to people trying to recover on a dog bite injury and ranks as one of the top states in the nation for payouts for claims made under homeowner owner insurance policies. In 2017, 901 claims were made against insurance companies for dog bites and the average cost per claim was $36,844, which resulted in a total payout of $33.2 million.
Juries and insurance companies consider many different factors when determining how much money to award a dog bite victim in damages. Some factors that are considered include:
(Did you have an accident on public property? Go here.)
Most people don’t understand how much they can win in a dog bite case. That’s one of the main reasons they want to talk to an attorney. Frequently, they just want enough to cover their medical bills, but many attorneys will promise huge rewards for the tiniest bites. We find it helpful to present real data from real cases. Money rewards, unsurprisingly, vary on a spectrum.
Case name: ISAAC v. PIACENZA
When: 1990
Where: Chicago, Illinois
Facts: A rug-cleaner was bitten on the hand by the dog and suffered reflex dystrophy.
Award: Settled for $835,000
Case name: BANKSTON v. Diaz
When: 2013
Where: Lake County, Illinois
Facts: Bankston was a 15-year-old child riding home from school on his bike one day, when Diaz’s monster Bullmastiff named Kong ran through a long-existing hole in his owner’s fence and toppled poor Bankston. Kong continued to attack Bankston until Bankston was rescued by one of the neighbors; the neighbor had to burn the dog’s nose with a lit cigarette to get him off poor Bankston. By that point, Kong had already sunk his teeth into Bankston all over his body, leaving a five-inch deep wound in the child’s arm. Bankston stayed in the hospital for a week and underwent surgery. This was an extreme case, and because of it, Bankston was awarded extreme damages.
Award: Verdict for $1,125,000
Case name: Maxwell v. Price
When: 2002
Where: St. Clair County, Illinois
Facts: Maxwell, an 11-year-old, says he was at the Price’s home when their dog bit him without provocation. Maxwell said the Price’s did not tell him the dog had a biting problem.
Award: Verdict for $5,556
To speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Chicago, contact our law firm at 312-489-8146 or by email using the online form. Evening and weekend consultations are available by telephone, and we offer off-site visits upon request.
There is no fee unless we win your case.
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