“Good Samaritan” Who Suffers Dog Bite Receives $290,000

Chicago, IL (Law Firm Newswire) July 22, 2022 – A Chicago woman who stopped to check on the victim of a motor vehicle accident recently received $290,000 in compensation for the injuries she suffered when the accident victim’s dog attacked her. Attorney Paul Greenberg of the Chicago firm Briskman, Briskman, and Greenberg assisted the woman in recovering compensation.

In an emergency, time is of the essence. It is also essential to ensure that those who offer help during an emergency are not injured. When someone who stops to help is damaged, the emergency becomes even more dire.

The Illinois Good Samaritan Act, protects people who extend help in an emergency, such as a car accident. Yet Chicago residents don’t need this law to establish their right to be protected from injury by a biting dog. Chicago law also requires dog owners to take the steps necessary to ensure their pets don’t cause injuries.

A dog bite injury isn’t the type of risk most Chicagoans expect to face when they stop to help someone after a motor vehicle accident. Yet, for this client, the proactive impulse to reach out and aid a fellow person in need ended in the injury and shock of a dog bite attack.

Homeowner’s insurance can cover some or all costs associated with a dog bite-related claim. In 2021, US homeowners insurance companies paid $882 million for claims related to dog bite-related injuries.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog bite claims increased slightly over 2 percent nationwide from 2020 and 2021. In 2021, the average cost for a dog bite claim was $49,025 throughout the US, although some locations had higher fees than others. Medical expenses, lost wages, and the burdens of pain and suffering contribute to the price of a dog bite attack.