For some people, a dog is a part of their family. Therefore, if their dog get hurt, it will be a devastating experience for them. In such cases, they will definitely want to get compensation. Calculating this amount is easy, as it generally includes vet bills. However, what if your dog died because of someone? Are you entitled to get compensation in this case? The answer is yes.
While the people consider dogs as their companions, the law considers them as property. Hence, if your dog got injured or killed, it can be considered as a property loss and you will get compensation for the amount you lostbecause of the loss of your dog. Sometimes, it is also possible to get compensation for the owner’s emotional suffering also. Therefore, through this article, we provide you information regarding how to calculate a claim amount if your dog is injured or dead because of another person’s fault. You can consult a dog lawyer for calculating this amount accurately.
Cost of Treatment
When your dog gets injured the first expense you can recover is the charge for veterinary care. The person who caused the injury will be responsible to compensate for these charges. But in most cases, the court usually allows an amount only for “reasonable” treatment. Determining the reasonable amount depends on different factors including the severity of injuries, the general condition of the dog and its age.
If the veterinary bills are high for an aged dog, then the court normally grant an amount that is no more than the market value of that dog. Therefore, you may not be able to recover the actual expense you had to incur in such cases. However, it is important to keep records of the bills that you had to pay for the hospitalization, medication and treatment of your dog. This will help you to negotiate an amount during the trial. You can seek the help of a dog lawyer for negotiating the amount on your behalf, so that you will get the maximum amount.
What’s Pet Worth?
For calculating the economic value of a dog, courts normallyuse three different ways including the replacement value, fair market value, or the special value to the owner.
Fair market value: It includes the profit a dog would bring if it is sold on the market. The common factors that are considered for determining this value include purchase price, health, breed, age, pedigree, etc. of a dog.
Replacement cost:Sometimes it is also possible for courts to grant the replacement value of your dog. The replacement value can be higher than the market value, as it will include additional factors like training, accomplishments, etc.
Special economic value: In some cases, a dog’s market value or replacement value may not be enough to compensate the owner when considering the special service or usefulness it had for the owner. In such cases, the court will grant an amount based on the special characteristics that the dog possessed. A dog attack attorney will help you to findout the special value of your dog based on how important it was to you.
