I was recently reading “West’s Jury Verdicts – Oklahoma Reports” when I came across a reported settlement by what I assume is State Farm in a dog bite incident. Basically, a minor was bitten by a dog and the mother filed a claim against State Farm without hiring an attorney. State Farm agreed to pay $5500.00 for the minors injuries, which knowing State Farm’s history was very little over the medical bills. Assuming my above assumptions are correct (they most likely are), this is why you hire an attorney.
Dog bite cases are governed by strict liability in Oklahoma and are worth far in excess of the medical bills. Why someone would settle for so little is beyond me but I can assure you the insurance company was not being philanthropic nor generous in its offer.
So before you try to negotiate a dog bite injury or any personal injury on your own, HIRE AN ATTORNEY. It’s economically worth it and you will get justice rather than the insurance company getting to add one more trophy on its wall where it got an individual to accept a low-ball settlement.
The Legal Examiner and our Affiliate Network strive to be the place you look to for news, context, and more, wherever your life intersects with the law.
Comments for this article are closed.