Fishers Dog Bite Lawyer
Bitten on the Nickel Plate Trail, knocked down in a Geist neighborhood, or attacked by a dog that slipped an invisible fence in your subdivision? Our Fishers office on Lantern Road handles dog bite and dog attack claims across Hamilton County. Free case review, and you pay nothing unless we recover.
Essential Guide to Fishers Dog Bite Claims
If a dog bit or knocked you down in Fishers, you generally have two years to file suit under IC 34-11-2-4, but Indiana's automatic-liability statute, IC 15-20-1-3, covers only bites to people carrying out a duty imposed by law, so most Fishers claims are negligence claims. Comparative fault under IC 34-51-2 reduces your recovery by your share of fault and bars it only if that share exceeds 50 percent, and an attack on city park or school property can start a 180-day notice deadline under IC 34-13-3-8. Fishers City Code §91.08 requires the person bitten to report the bite to the Fishers Police Department, and that report, any doorbell video, and photographs of the dangerous property conditions behind a failed fence are the core evidence; our attorneys bring 44 years of combined experience to gathering it.
JR and Jill are long-time Noblesville residents who practice from the firm's primary office in the Carmel Arts and Design District and from the Fishers office at 11650 Lantern Rd, Suite 261, Fishers, IN 46038. Fishers' subdivision sidewalks and the Nickel Plate Trail produce a steady pattern of invisible-fence escapes and trail knockdowns. Injury cases are handled on contingency, and when you call (317) 434-3136, Katie or Penny will usually answer. They know every active case in the office, and JR or Jill often answer the phone themselves.
- An office in Fishers. Our Lantern Road office puts us close to the Nickel Plate District, Geist, and the subdivisions where most Fishers dog cases happen.
- Accurate on Indiana law. No "one-bite rule" myths and no promises that a private delivery driver is automatically covered. We tell you which theory fits on the first call.
- Fishers ordinance knowledge. The city's bite-reporting, quarantine, restraint, and dangerous-animal rules in Chapter 91 create records we know to request.
- Trial-tested lead counsel. Jill Bracken-Emerson leads the injury practice and has taken seven medical malpractice cases through full jury trials in Indiana.
- $0 up front. Contingency fee on injury cases, free case reviews, and an honest answer even when the answer is that there is no claim.
Fishers Dog Bite Attorneys With an Office on Lantern Road
Fishers is a city of subdivisions connected by sidewalks, with the Nickel Plate Trail running through its center and Geist Reservoir along its eastern edge. Most dog bites here happen within a few hundred feet of home: at a community mailbox, a neighborhood entrance, a cul-de-sac, or the trail access point behind a row of houses. The dog usually belongs to a neighbor, and the claim is usually paid by a homeowners policy. Our Indiana dog bite practice is built around what those cases actually need.
JR Emerson and Jill Bracken-Emerson are the two attorneys at Emerson Divorce and Accident Injury Attorneys, L.L.C.. They are long-time Noblesville residents who practice from the primary office in the Carmel Arts and Design District and from the firm's Fishers office at 11650 Lantern Rd, Suite 261, Fishers, IN 46038, with a third office in Zionsville. Jill leads the personal injury practice, is an Indiana Super Lawyers honoree, and has taken seven medical malpractice cases through full jury trials in Indiana. JR focuses on liability, evidence, and procedure. From the bench at Whitestown Town Court, JR evaluated the credibility of witnesses and physical evidence in contested traffic and municipal matters.
Dog cases turn on a handful of records: the Fishers police report, any prior complaint or dangerous-animal declaration involving the same dog, a neighbor's doorbell video, an HOA letter about a loose pet, and a medical chart that says what actually happened. Several of those disappear within days. This page explains how Indiana law treats bites and knockdowns, what Fishers' own ordinance adds, and what to do this week.
A Personal Message from JR and Jill
No pressure, no obligation, just two attorneys who care about doing this the right way.
Where a Fishers Dog Bite Case Is Filed
Fishers has no separate civil court for injury claims. A dog bite lawsuit from anywhere in the city is filed at the Hamilton County Courthouse, 1 Hamilton County Square, Noblesville, IN 46060, and heard in the Hamilton County Superior Court, a drive north on SR-37 from most of Fishers.
Reporting in Fishers has a rule most cities don't spell out. Fishers City Code §91.08 requires that animal bites be reported to the Police Department by the person bitten and by the dog's owner, and it requires the owner to quarantine the dog for at least ten days. Hamilton County Animal Control, at 18100 Cumberland Road in Noblesville, can be reached at (317) 776-4110, and the Humane Society for Hamilton County handles quarantine for animals showing signs of illness.
That ordinance helps you. A reporting duty that applies to the owner as well as the victim means there should be a police record, and a dog with a history may have earlier reports or a dangerous-animal declaration under §91.07. We request those records in writing early.
What to Expect When You Call Our Fishers Office
A short introduction to how Emerson Divorce and Accident Injury Attorneys, L.L.C. handles injury claims for Fishers families.
Why Fishers Families Choose Our Firm for Dog Bite Claims
A Fishers Office on Lantern Road
We meet Fishers clients close to home, and scene photographs in Sunblest, Saxony, or along the Nickel Plate Trail start quickly.
Chapter 91 Records
Bite reports, quarantine records, and dangerous-animal declarations under the Fishers ordinance are notice evidence. We know to ask for them.
Built for a Hamilton County Jury
Hamilton County juries trend conservative on damages and respond to organized, document-forward presentation. Every file is built that way from the start.
A Small Office That Knows Your File
Katie and Penny know every active case, and JR or Jill often answer the phone themselves. Contingency fee, $0 up front, and nothing owed unless we recover.
Why Fishers Dog Bite Cases Are Different
Fishers dog cases cluster in a few recognizable settings, and each one leaves behind different evidence. Knowing which one you are in decides what gets requested in the first week.
The Nickel Plate Trail and the Nickel Plate District
The Nickel Plate Trail runs north and south through the middle of Fishers, past the Nickel Plate District downtown and a long line of neighborhood access points. It carries runners, cyclists, strollers, and dog walkers in close quarters, and the typical injury is a knockdown from a dog on a long retractable lead, not a bite. Downtown, dog-friendly patios and events add crowds to the mix. Witnesses on the trail are usually regulars who pass the same spot at the same hour.
Subdivisions, Mailboxes, and Invisible Fences
Much of Fishers is planned subdivisions such as Sunblest, Saxony, Britton Falls, and Brooks School, with internal sidewalks, community mailbox clusters, and electronic containment in place of fences. A dog that runs through an invisible-fence boundary or out of an open garage reaches a child at the mailbox in seconds. Those cases come down to containment and history: the collar battery, the boundary flags, prior escapes, and any HOA correspondence about the dog.
Geist Reservoir and the East Side
Around Geist Reservoir, larger lots, waterfront homes, and the Geist Greenway produce a different pattern: dogs loose on unfenced waterfront property, or off leash in neighborhoods where owners treat the area as rural. Section 91.05 of the Fishers code governs restraint and animals at large, and a violation is evidence the owner failed to use reasonable care.
Holland Park, Ritchey Woods, and Cyntheanne Park
Holland Park draws families to its trails and splash pad, Ritchey Woods offers narrow wooded paths with short sight lines, and Cyntheanne Park on the northeast side is popular with dog walkers. Crowds at one end and blind curves at the other are both settings where a dog that gets away from its owner meets someone without warning.
Jill Bracken-Emerson on Geist cases: In east-side cases near Geist, Jill has found that the most useful early question is who was keeping the dog that day. Lake homes see houseguests, dog sitters, and family members watching pets, and under IC 15-20-1-2 each of them can be an owner with their own insurance policy.
Types of Fishers Dog Attack Cases We Handle
Severe Bites and Scarring
Deep lacerations and crush injuries to the face, hands, and arms, often with plastic surgery and permanent scarring and disfigurement.
Children Bitten Near Home
Children at mailbox clusters, bus stops, and cul-de-sacs are at dog height. Pediatric claims must account for reconstruction and care years into the future.
Nickel Plate Trail Knockdowns
Wrist, shoulder, and hip fractures with no bite at all. These are negligence claims, not statutory bite claims.
Invisible Fence Escapes
Dogs that cross an electronic boundary or bolt from an open garage. Containment failures and prior escapes are the heart of the case.
Postal Carriers and Delivery Drivers
USPS carriers fit Indiana's bite statute directly. Private delivery drivers usually proceed on negligence, often alongside a worker's compensation claim.
Landlord and Keeper Claims
Apartment communities, dog sitters, and boarding operations. Anyone who keeps or harbors a dog can be an owner under Indiana law.
How We Handle a Fishers Dog Bite Claim, Step by Step
Free Case Review
We listen, review the facts, and explain the options. No cost, no obligation, including when we tell you there is no claim.
Investigation and Evidence
Perishable evidence first: the Fishers police bite report required by City Code §91.08, Hamilton County Animal Control records, doorbell video, HOA records, and photographs of the fence line or containment boundary.
Medical Treatment Coordination
Connecting you with qualified physicians, including plastic surgery for facial bites, and making sure the chart at IU Health North or St. Vincent Carmel describes what the dog did.
Demand Package
Once you reach maximum medical improvement, a package documenting liability, damages, future care, and scarring.
Insurance Negotiations
Presented to the homeowners, renters, or commercial carrier on the full record rather than a summary.
Filing Suit If Necessary
If the insurer will not offer fair compensation, suit is filed in the Hamilton County Superior Court in Noblesville.
Discovery, Depositions, Trial Preparation
Building a trial-ready case, including the owner's deposition on what they knew about the dog and when they knew it.
Resolution
Most claims resolve by settlement. Liens are resolved before disbursement so the figure you are told is the figure you receive.
Compensation in a Fishers Dog Bite Claim
An ordinary dog bite negligence claim in Indiana is not subject to the damages cap that applies to medical malpractice. What a claim is worth turns on the injury, the proof of fault, and the insurance behind the dog.
Economic Damages
Emergency treatment at IU Health North or St. Vincent Carmel, surgical repair and reconstruction, rabies post-exposure treatment, antibiotics and infection care, hand therapy, future scar revision, counseling, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity when an injury to a dominant hand or a visible scar affects someone's work.
Non-Economic Damages
Pain and suffering, emotional distress, post-traumatic stress and a lasting fear of dogs, permanent scarring, and loss of enjoyment of life. For a runner who no longer uses the Nickel Plate Trail, or a child who will not go back to the neighborhood park, that loss is real and it has to be documented rather than assumed.
Who Pays, and What Comes Out of the Recovery
Most claims are paid by the dog owner's homeowners or renters liability coverage, and sometimes by an umbrella policy or a business's commercial policy. Some homeowners policies exclude certain breeds or exclude coverage after a prior incident, so the policy has to be read. Health plans, Medicare, and Medicaid may assert reimbursement rights, and if you were working when you were bitten, your employer's worker's compensation carrier holds a lien on any third-party recovery under IC 22-3-2-13. We evaluate every offer on the net figure.
JR Emerson on HOA records: In Fishers subdivision cases, JR asks early for the homeowners association's correspondence about the dog. A violation letter about a loose pet or a neighbor complaint forwarded to management is written, dated, and made before anyone was hurt, which is exactly the kind of evidence a Hamilton County jury trusts. The same goes for a Fishers police report under §91.08, which the owner was also required to make.
Bitten or Knocked Down by a Dog in Fishers?
Subdivision doorbell video overwrites fast. Free case review, and no fee unless we win.
Common Dog Bite Injuries in Fishers Cases
The wound that gets closed in the emergency department at IU Health North is often only the beginning. These are the injuries we see most often, and what makes each one harder than it first looks.
Puncture Wounds and Infection
Canine teeth drive bacteria deep beneath the skin, and punctures to the hand are especially risky because tendons and joint spaces sit so close to the surface. A bite that looked minor on Saturday can require surgical washout and IV antibiotics by Tuesday. That follow-up visit belongs in the claim.
Hand, Tendon, and Nerve Injuries
A large dog can crush the small bones of the hand and sever tendons and nerves. Lost grip strength, numbness, and stiffness can affect work for years, which is why hand surgeons and occupational therapists often become central to the damages picture for Fishers clients whose work depends on their hands.
Fractures From Being Knocked Down
Wrist fractures from bracing a fall, shoulder fractures, and hip fractures in older adults. Research published in JAMA Surgery and summarized by Harvard Health found fractures among adults 65 and older tied to walking leashed dogs more than doubled between 2004 and 2017, with the hip the most commonly broken site. That study involved people walking their own dogs, but the mechanism is the same on the Nickel Plate Trail: a dog does not need to bite to break a bone.
Facial Injuries and Scarring in Children
Young children are bitten in the face more than anywhere else. Lip, cheek, and eyelid injuries carry functional consequences as well as cosmetic ones, and pediatric reconstruction at Riley Hospital for Children or Peyton Manning Children's Hospital may continue for years.
Psychological Injury
Nightmares, avoidance of parks and trails, and fear responses to dogs are common after a serious attack, especially in children. Counseling records and observations from parents and teachers document an injury that never appears on an X-ray.
Indiana Dog Bite Law That Decides Fishers Claims
Two mistakes run through most published content on this subject: calling Indiana a strict liability state, and saying the owner gets one free bite. The framework a Hamilton County judge applies is below, and the statutes are reproduced in full by the Animal Legal and Historical Center at Michigan State University College of Law.
IC 15-20-1-3: Strict Liability, Narrowly Drawn
An owner is liable for all damages when a dog, without provocation, bites a person who is acting peaceably and is somewhere they may be required to be in order to discharge a duty imposed by the laws of Indiana, the laws of the United States, or United States postal regulations. Liability applies even if the dog never behaved viciously and the owner had no knowledge. A USPS carrier on a Fishers route fits. A law enforcement officer performing a legal duty fits. A driver for a private delivery company is an argument rather than a given, and a knockdown with no bite sits outside the statute entirely.
Negligence: The Path for Most Fishers Claims
Indiana does not guarantee a dog one free bite. The Court of Appeals has said animals are not necessarily entitled to one free bite before their owners are held liable in negligence. Hardsaw v. Courtney, 665 N.E.2d 603 (Ind. Ct. App. 1996). Keeping a dog imposes a duty of reasonable care even where the owner knows of no vicious tendency, and an owner is bound to know a dog's natural propensities and guard against injuries reasonably expected from them. Plesha v. Edmonds, 717 N.E.2d 981 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999).
A violation of a leash rule or posted park rule can support negligence per se, but be precise about what it proves. It shows a breach of the duty of care. It does not by itself show that the owner knew the dog was dangerous, and Indiana courts have declined to infer dangerous propensity from barking at strangers or from a restraint ordinance alone. A dog escaping does not by itself establish it either. Baker v. Weather, 714 N.E.2d 740 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999).
IC 15-20-1-2 and Landlords
"Owner" includes anyone who possesses, keeps, or harbors a dog, which can reach a dog walker, a sitter, a roommate, or a boarding business. For a tenant's dog, a landlord is liable only if the landlord both retained control over the premises where the dog was kept and knew of the dog's dangerous propensity. Morehead v. Deitrich, 932 N.E.2d 1272 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010).
IC 15-20-1-4: Criminal Failure to Restrain
An owner who recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally fails to restrain a dog that enters another person's property and bites or attacks without provocation, causing bodily injury, commits a Class C misdemeanor. The offense escalates with prior incidents and serious bodily injury, and reaches felony levels where a death results. A citation is not your civil claim, but it is a contemporaneous record.
Deadlines and Comparative Fault
Two years from the date of injury under IC 34-11-2-4, with a minor's claim generally tolled under IC 34-11-6-1. If a government entity is involved, for example an attack on park or school corporation property, notice is due within 180 days for a political subdivision under IC 34-13-3-8 and 270 days for the State under IC 34-13-3-6; serve notice within 180 days in any government case. Under IC 34-51-2, damages are reduced by your share of fault, and recovery is barred only if your fault exceeds 50 percent.
Not Sure Whether Indiana Law Covers Your Dog Attack?
Tell us what happened. We will tell you whether it is a statutory bite claim, a negligence claim, or no claim at all, at no cost.
What to Do After a Dog Attack in Fishers
- Get treated. Bite wounds carry real infection risk even when they look small. Fishers residents are served by IU Health Saxony Hospital, Ascension St. Vincent Fishers, and IU Health North in Carmel, and IU Health Methodist in Indianapolis is the Level I trauma center.
- Report it. Call 911 if the dog is still loose and dangerous. Otherwise, report the bite to the Fishers Police Department, as Fishers City Code §91.08 requires, and to Hamilton County Animal Control at (317) 776-4110. Indiana also requires a physician who treats a dog bite to report it, so ask whether that report was made.
- Identify the dog and whoever had it. Name, address, phone, and vaccination records if possible. If someone else was walking or keeping the dog, get their information too.
- Photograph injuries over several days. Bruising and bite patterns develop. A single emergency department photo does not show what the injury became.
- Photograph the location. The unfinished fence, the invisible fence flags, the gate, the trail access point, and the spot on the path where it happened.
- Ask about cameras the same week. Doorbell cameras in Fishers subdivisions overwrite on short cycles. This is the most time-sensitive item on the list.
- Make sure the chart says what happened. If a dog knocked you down, the record should say so rather than "fall."
- Do not give a recorded statement to the owner's homeowners carrier before your own claim has been evaluated.
JR Emerson on late reports: JR tells Fishers clients that a report made ten days late is still far better than none. Without a written record, a dog case can become one neighbor's recollection against another's, and he has watched from the bench how differently a same-week record reads compared to a memory offered months later.
Hamilton County Court Guide for Fishers Dog Bite Cases
Court: Hamilton County Superior Court
Address: 1 Hamilton County Square, Noblesville, IN 46060
From central Fishers: North on SR-37 into Noblesville, then west on SR-32 (Conner Street) to the courthouse square.
From Geist and the east side: West to SR-37, then north into Noblesville.
What to expect: Most dog bite claims resolve without trial. In filed cases, mandatory mediation is common in complex personal injury matters before trial assignment, and Jill is a registered civil mediator who knows that process from both sides of the table. Hamilton County juries trend conservative on damages relative to Marion County and respond to organized, document-forward presentation.
How Long Does a Fishers Dog Bite Claim Take?
Timing depends mostly on treatment, because a claim should not be resolved until the full injury is known. These ranges are general, not a promise about any case.
Fastest
Clear liability, healed wounds, and adequate homeowners coverage. Often resolved within several months of finishing treatment.
Moderate
Surgery, therapy, or a disputed provocation defense. Commonly six months to a year or more.
Complex
Children's facial reconstruction, knockdown fractures, invisible fence cases with disputed facts, or multiple policies. Often a year or longer.
Trial
Suit filed in Hamilton County, discovery, mediation, and a trial setting. Frequently two years or more from filing.
Proven Results for Indiana Accident Victims
Real recoveries. Real families. Real impact.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is unique and results depend on specific facts and circumstances.
Talk to a Real Attorney About Your Fishers Dog Bite
When you call (317) 434-3136, Katie or Penny will usually answer. They know every active case in the office. JR or Jill often answer the phone themselves.
What Our Injury Clients Say
"Jill represented me in a personal injury case. Jill and her staff were great to work with. Thank you for all that you did for me and my family."Ben Borne 2024-03-01
"JR and all of his associates are an amazing firm who will always fight for your best interests. They have been extremely helpful with assisting me through a very difficult part of my life."Alexander Jones 2024-01-30
Other Fishers Personal Injury Services
When a dog knocks someone down on the trail without biting, read our guide to broken bones from a dog attack in Indiana.
For the knowledge question that decides so many negligence cases, see how to prove a dog owner knew their dog was dangerous.
Fishers Dog Bite Lawyer FAQ
Can I sue for a dog bite in Fishers, Indiana?
Yes, in most cases. If the dog bit a USPS carrier or someone else carrying out a duty imposed by law, IC 15-20-1-3 makes the owner liable without proof of prior knowledge. Most Fishers victims bring a negligence claim instead, based on the owner's failure to use reasonable care in keeping and controlling the dog.
Is Indiana a strict liability state for dog bites?
Only in a narrow set of cases. IC 15-20-1-3 applies to bites, and only to people acting peaceably who are somewhere they may be required to be to discharge a duty imposed by Indiana law, federal law, or United States postal regulations. Everyone else proceeds on negligence.
Does Indiana have a one bite rule?
Not the way it is usually described. In Hardsaw v. Courtney, 665 N.E.2d 603 (Ind. Ct. App. 1996), the Court of Appeals said animals are not necessarily entitled to one free bite before their owners are liable in negligence. You do not have to prove the dog bit before; the question is whether the owner used reasonable care, including against a dog's natural propensities.
How long do I have to file a dog bite lawsuit in Indiana?
Generally two years from the date of injury under IC 34-11-2-4, and a minor's claim is typically tolled under IC 34-11-6-1. If a government entity is involved, notice is due within 180 days for a political subdivision under IC 34-13-3-8 and 270 days for the State under IC 34-13-3-6, so serve notice within 180 days in any government case.
Do I have to report a dog bite in Fishers?
Yes. Fishers City Code section 91.08 requires the person bitten, or a parent or guardian, to report the bite to the Fishers Police Department, and it requires the dog's owner to report it too. Call 911 if the dog is still a danger. You can also contact Hamilton County Animal Control at (317) 776-4110.
Will the dog be quarantined or put down?
Under Fishers City Code section 91.08, the owner of a dog reported to have bitten someone must keep it quarantined for at least ten days, and a dog showing signs of illness goes to a veterinarian or the Humane Society for Hamilton County. A dog with a history may face a dangerous-animal declaration under section 91.07. What happens to the dog is separate from your civil claim.
How much is a Fishers dog bite case worth?
There is no average that fits your case. Value depends on the severity and permanence of the injury, scarring, lost income, the strength of the liability evidence, the insurance available, and the liens that must be repaid. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Does homeowners insurance cover a dog bite?
Usually. Most claims are paid by the owner's homeowners or renters liability coverage, which often applies whether the bite happened at the home or on the Nickel Plate Trail. Some policies exclude certain breeds or exclude coverage after a prior incident, so the policy needs to be read.
I deliver packages for a private company and was bitten on my route. Is the owner automatically liable?
Not automatically. IC 15-20-1-3 covers people discharging a duty imposed by Indiana law, federal law, or United States postal regulations, which fits a USPS carrier directly. A private delivery job is a harder argument, so your claim will usually be built on negligence. If you were on the clock, your worker's compensation claim and your claim against the dog owner are separate, and the comp carrier holds a lien on the third-party recovery under IC 22-3-2-13.
A dog knocked me down on the Nickel Plate Trail but never bit me. Do I have a claim?
Often yes, but not under the bite statute, which is written around biting. It is a negligence claim. Under Plesha v. Edmonds, 717 N.E.2d 981 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999), an owner must guard against a dog's natural propensities, and lunging, jumping, and bolting are natural propensities.
My neighbor's dog ran through its invisible fence and bit my child. Is that negligence?
It can be strong evidence of negligence. An owner who relies on an electronic boundary that a dog is known to cross, or that was not working, may have failed to use reasonable care, and Fishers City Code section 91.05 governs restraint and animals at large. Photographs of the boundary flags, the collar, and any earlier escapes help prove it.
Can a landlord be liable for a tenant's dog in Fishers?
Sometimes, but Indiana requires two things. Under Morehead v. Deitrich, 932 N.E.2d 1272 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010), you must show both that the landowner retained control over the premises where the dog was kept and that the landowner knew of the dog's dangerous propensity. Common areas of an apartment community are analyzed differently from a leased house.
Where would my Fishers dog bite lawsuit be filed?
At the Hamilton County Courthouse, 1 Hamilton County Square, Noblesville, IN 46060, in the Hamilton County Superior Court. Most claims resolve through negotiation or mediation, and mandatory mediation is common in complex personal injury cases before trial assignment.
What does it cost to hire your firm?
Nothing up front. Injury cases are handled on a contingency fee: $0 to start, and you pay nothing unless we recover. Case reviews are free, and if the facts do not support a claim, we tell you that instead of filing.
The owner broke the leash rule. Doesn't that prove they knew the dog was dangerous?
No, and that assumption causes problems. A restraint violation shows the owner breached the duty of reasonable care. Knowledge of a dangerous propensity is a separate element, and Baker v. Weather, 714 N.E.2d 740 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999), held that escaping alone does not establish it. Earlier Fishers police bite reports, a dangerous-animal declaration, HOA letters, and neighbors who saw prior incidents are how knowledge gets proved, which is why we request those records in the first days.
The insurer offered to pay my urgent care bill if I sign a release. Should I?
Not until you know what the injury will become. A release usually ends the entire claim, including infection, therapy, and scar revision that has not happened yet. Hand bites can become infected days later, and a child's facial scar is not fully understood for months. Jill Bracken-Emerson's view is that an early offer is priced on the first bill alone, and signing it trades the rest of the claim for that number.
My ER chart just says I 'fell.' Does that hurt my knockdown claim?
It is a problem, but a fixable one if you act early. Emergency charts often record a mechanical fall because that is what broke the bone, and the carrier will rely on that wording. Tell your treating physician exactly what happened and ask that the mechanism be recorded. JR Emerson's experience weighing evidence from the bench is that a correction made in week two carries far more weight than an explanation offered at a deposition a year later.
Serving Dog Bite Victims Across Fishers
Dog Bite Lawyers in Nearby Cities
Visit Our Fishers Office
Emerson Divorce and Accident Injury Attorneys, L.L.C.
11650 Lantern Rd, Suite 261, Fishers, IN 46038
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Our Fishers office is on Lantern Road, and our primary office is in the Carmel Arts and Design District at 1 S Rangeline Rd, Suite 400, Carmel, IN 46032. Clients who cannot travel after an injury can arrange to meet by phone or video.