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HOW MUCH IS YOUR CASE WORTH?TreatmentFirst, see a doctor as quickly as possible. Until you see a doctor, if a person is bitten or mauled by an animal, apply pressure to stop any brisk bleeding, and follow the instructions for management of bleeding and cuts. It is important to clean the wounds well. Flush any injury that has broken the skin with at least 2 quarts (liters) of disinfected water, scrub with mild soap, and flush again. If you are carrying povidone iodine solution 10% (not soap or scrub); benzalkonium (Zephiran) liquid 1% antiseptic; or, in a pinch, Bactine antiseptic (benzalkonium 0.13%), rinse the wound with one of these for one minute (to help kill rabies virus), then rinse away the solution until there is no discoloration of the wound. Do not sew or tape closed any animal bite, unless it is absolutely essential to allow rescue. If a large tear is present, the wound edges can be held together with tape and wraps. Tight closure of a contaminated wound (all animal bites and scratches introduce bacteria into the wound) can lead to a devastating infection. Apply a thin layer of bacitracin or mupirocin ointment or mupirocin cream into the wound. If the victim is more than five hours from a physician, administer cefuroxime axetil, dicloxacillin, amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, cefixime, cephalexin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or ciprofloxacin. If the bite is from a cat, domestic or wild, administer an antibiotic as soon as possible. If an animal bite becomes infected, the same antibiotics are recommended, with the exception that for cat (domestic and “big” cat) bites, dicloxacillin should be given with penicillin.
Q. Will I have to go to Court?A. Possibly you will - but not necessarily. Many cases are settled, sometimes during a trial, often before it begins.
Q. Why do we so frequently win favorable settlements?A. Because we always deal from strength, never from weakness. We're always prepared to go to trial. The defendant knows about our years of experience and, sooner or later, understands how well prepared we are. There is no guarantee, of course, but at the right point a favorable settlement becomes more likely.
Q. Can I afford your services?A. You certainly can. We work on a contingency basis. What that means, in simple terms, is you pay no legal fees unless you win an award, either through settlement or trial. We make the full investment of money and time to win justice for you. If we succeed on your behalf, we are paid a percentage of the award - and that sum is regulated by Court rule. We are also reimbursed for our expenses. What is most important is this: We have never lost a case for lack of money or professional time, and we never will.
Q. Suppose I've been referred by another lawyer or law firm. Does that mean my case is going to cost me more money?A. A client never has to pay an additional fee because they were referred by another attorney to our firm. Any legal fee to be paid to the referring attorney will be paid by our firm.
Q. Why don't my other lawyers handle these cases themselves?A. They know that the practice of our firm is focused entirely on personal injury law, on recovering damages for people who are harmed because of someone else's negligence. Lawyers know our reputation and our record of success. They have confidence that we will serve you well. We have a wide reputation as "Lawyers' Lawyers". They look to us for this work alone. You look to them for all your other legal needs.
Q. Will I have to get on the stand? Will the other lawyer attack me and try to break me down in cross examination? I'm not sure I could.A. Please understand: you are the victim in this case, and compensation for what has been done to you should not be painful, and, for the vast majority of plaintiffs - it is not. Courtroom dramas on television are not real life. They are exaggerated for dramatic effect. Even actual televised trials are most often selected because they are sensational. In actuality, there is a plaintiff, a Defendant, a Judge and usually a Jury in the Courtroom. If the case is tried, the Judge and Jury are sworn to do what is right. Jurors are people like you, and they do not like lawyers abusing witnesses. Remember that.
Q. How long will this process take?A. There is no certain answer. We'll move as quickly as possible, but a wide range of factors can affect the resolution of your case, primarily the backlog in the Courts. What helps is the fact that our knowledge and experience often make it possible for us to get to Court relatively quickly. Once there, as we have said, the opposing lawyers may well seek a settlement early in the proceedings - or even sooner.
Will you take my case?A. Sometimes this question can be answered almost immediately. In other instances, we need additional time, effort and investigation to make the decision. If you have been seriously injured, we will use all of our resources to try to help you. If we cannot do so, we will tell you as quickly as possible.The holidays are especially stressful for dogs due to changes in routine and the comings and going of visitors. Many dog bites happen at this time of year. When visiting a house with a dog, children should be taught not to approach the dog (even if the dog has been friendly on other occasions). If the dog comes to them they should stand still like a tree and let the dog sniff. Only if the the dog is wagging and panting and coming to them for attention, and parent and dog owners are supervising and have given permission, should a child touch the dog. Dog owners should gauge their dog’s reaction to visitors. If the dog is overly excited, barking or growling, cowering away, trying to hide or otherwise showing signs of anxiety or aggression, the dog should be kept separate from visiting children for the ENTIRE DURATION of the child’s visit. The dog should have its own place in a crate or another room with toys, a bone to chew on and its special bed or blanket so that it can be happy and comfortable and away from guests. Even dogs who seem happy with visitors should never be alone in the room with visiting children. No preschooler, toddler or baby should be allowed to be near your dog unless you personally also have your hands on the dog and can prevent face to face contact between child and dog and can prevent the child from hugging or otherwise bothering the dog. Dogs should not be allowed to greet visitors at the door. This is for the safety of the dog and the visitors. Keep the dogs in separate room or crate until the visitors are settled and then allow the dog to say hello if appropriate. If you are not sure about your dog, then leave him confined or keep him on a leash. Make sure that the dog associates visitors with something good for the dog, such as special treats or a stuffed bone.
If you do perceive a problem between your dog and visiting
children - THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO WORK ON IT. It is not reasonable to use
visiting children to help train your dog. Take preventative measures to ensure
that your dog does not have the opportunity to bite and once the holiday season
is over seek the help of a dog behavior specialist who uses positive
reinforcement methods to solve the dog's problem.
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