When you have a beloved dog, you may want to take your pet with you everywhere you go. That includes in your car. If you have your dog with you and you are in a car accident and you get hurt, either your insurance or the other driver's insurance will cover you and the damage to your car. But what happens when it comes to your pet? How can you get the money you need to care for them, and what happens if the other driver or their insurance won't pay for the damages?
Insurance
No matter how much of a member of the family you think your pet is, they are still legally seen as your property and covered by either your insurance or the other driver's insurance. That's the way it works in theory, however, the practice doesn't always adhere to the theory. The other driver's insurance may not want to pay out for medical costs for your pet because it can be expensive. They may also try to claim that you were negligent so the accident was your fault and that your pet distracted you while you were driving, causing the accident, meaning they don't have to pay.
Lawyer
If your dog has been severely injured and the other driver's insurance doesn't want to pay, you can go get some help. What you will need to do is contact an auto accident lawyer. They will be able to help you get the money that you are owed for your pet. One thing that the attorney can do is negotiate with the insurance company. What the lawyer will do is talk to the insurance company and tell them the amount that you are seeking to cover your pet's medical bills, as well as pain and suffering. The lawyer will have a couple of places that they can start when they are trying to get money for your injured pet. One place they will start is at the reasonable market price for your pet. For example, if your pet is a registered show animal, the reasonable market value may be high, so the lawyer can start using that number. The other place the lawyer can start is with reasonable medical costs. If the case actually goes to court, the judge in the case may also order things like pain and suffering and sentimental value to the settlement.
If you are in a car accident and your pet is with you, you want to make sure that all their medical bills and associated costs are covered as well. You may have to hire an attorney in order to get the insurance companies or other driver to pay you what you need.
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