New Bedford dog bite

Attorney D. Robin Gouveia, of d’Oliveira & Associates, recently negotiated a $130,000 settlement with Travelers Insurance Company on behalf of a woman who was injured as a result of a dog bite attack. The woman suffered several laceration, abrasions and puncture wounds to her arm and leg. As a result, she ultimately had to receive stiches for her wounds, along with antibiotics and pain-management medication due to the severity of the bites. She contacted the New Bedford, MA dog bite lawyers for help. Attorney Gouveia was able to obtain an out-of-court settlement for the client from the defendant’s liability insurer.

victim of New Bedford dog biteAttorney Gouveia commented on this case, stating, “We monitored the scarring from the dog bite punctures and submitted a demand to the insurance company for the client’s damages, which included the medical bills, pain, suffering and residual scarring from the wounds. The insurer did not see the value as we did, and tried undermine the legitimacy of the injury. We persisted in our demand for fair and reasonable value based on the injury and invited the insurance company to the office to do an in person scar viewing. Once that was done, they reevaluated their figures and negotiated more reasonably which allowed us to reach a fair result for the client.”

Many states handle dog bite cases differently. Most states, however, are either “negligence” or “strict liability” states when handling dog bites. In Massachusetts, it falls under a “strict liability” dog bite state. This means that dog owners are held responsible for injuries that their dogs cause, even if the owner did not know that the dog would bite or cause injury to another person. Massachusetts’s “strict liability” rule applies to both dog bites and other injuries caused by dogs. So, if a dog knocks a person down, or causes injury in any other way, but does not actually bite, the rule of “strict liability” still applies.

New Bedford dog bite lawyer meeting a clientIf you or someone you know has been injured due to a dog bite, contact one of our experienced New Bedford, MA dog bite lawyers located at 930 Kempton Street, New Bedford, MA 02740. You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering, among other losses. No fees are received unless you win an award or settlement. For a free (no obligation) case assessment, call us today at 508-984-8400 or toll free at 1-800-992-6878. You may also fill out a contact form online.

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Paul d’Oliveira

Attorney Paul d’Oliveira has been practicing personal injury and disability law for over 30 years. He started his personal injury law practice in 1989 with two offices in Fall River, MA and East Providence, RI. Today his firm has 16 offices in RI and Southeastern, MA.

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