New letters and forms are added weekly, by request of users of this web site

What these are

If you believe you have a valid dog bite case, but no attorney will help you because it is too small, then these letters and forms are for you. They will help you to --

• Make the dog owner or his insurance company reimburse you for medical bills and lost wages
• Make them pay you or your injured child for pain and suffering, if that is what you want
• Get rid of the dangerous dog that bit you or your child, if you feel it is necessary

Each form is $1. You download it immediately. It is an RTF file (i.e., a word processing file that will work with every word processing program without exception). When you open the file, you will see a pre-written letter or a form, with instructions for using it. You do not have to retype it, but only need to change the details to fit your situation. When you are done, you will have a letter or action plan or outline that you can use immediately.

You can choose whether to send out a formal letter (to someone you do not know well), a friendly letter (to a neighbor, family member or friend), or a businesslike letter. The writing style is simple and direct. The strategies are the same ones that are used by Attorney Kenneth Phillips, the author of Dog Bite Law.

Before going further, be sure to read the next section, Who this is NOT for.

Who this is NOT for

Before continuing, you need to learn who this is NOT for. If only your dog was injured, this is not for you. You should find out about What To Do If Your Dog Is Injured Or Killed by Attorney Kenneth Phillips.

If you do not have the legal right to recover compensation for the accident, this is not for you. If a lawyer told you that you do not have the right to compensation, talk to another lawyer or accept the attorney's analysis -- but do not buy these forms and proceed blindly forward. Lawyers will agree to give you a free consultation if you ask for one, so it will cost you nothing and you owe it to yourself or your injured child. If you want to read about your legal rights, start at Legal Rights of Dog Bite Victims in the USA. Caution: do not ask police officers or animal control officers whether you have the legal right to compensation. They are not trained in this. Direct your questions about compensation to an attorney.

If you or your child were injured on the face, this is not for you. You can and should retain a lawyer because, even after paying his fees, your recovery probably will be far greater than anything you can achieve on your own, assuming the dog owner has homeowners or renters insurance. Write to Attorney Kenneth Phillips to learn your options, which he will tell you for free. Click on the link in the prior sentence, or copy his address into your e-mail program: kphillips@dogbitelaw.com

If you were bitten on the hand less than three months ago, this is not for you. It is too soon to settle your case. A hand injury takes a few months to reveal its extent. The scar on the surface might mean nothing compared to the crush injury inside the hand, which might cause disability down the line. Be patient. If there is pain or disability after three months, try to retain a lawyer before attempting to settle on your own. If you cannot find an attorney, write to Attorney Kenneth Phillips to learn your options, which he will tell you for free. Click on the link in the prior sentence, or copy his address into your e-mail program: kphillips@dogbitelaw.com

If blood was shed, if scars will develop, if treatment is continuing, if it will take more than $10,000 to "make this right," if there are continuing symptoms or disability or anything lasting or strange or complicated, take a free consultation with a personal injury attorney before you try anything on your own. Yes, lawyers in the USA routinely talk to accident victims about their options, for free. Because it's free, you owe it to yourself or your child. You have nothing to lose and justice to gain. To find a free attorney in your own area, just search the Internet, ask friends for referrals, or contact your local bar association.

Self-help if you don't have $1

Okay, you have read the section above, and come to the conclusion that you at least want to see what is available here for self-help. Here is what to do if you don't have even $1 to download the pre-written letters and forms written by Attorney Kenneth Phillips:

Get the name and address of the dog owner from the police report or animal control investigation. Also get a copy of the report itself. Write a letter to the dog owner, reminding him what happened, that the law says he is fully liable to pay compensation to you (if that's what you found out on Legal Rights of Dog Bite Victims), describing your injuries, listing the cost of treatment, calculating your loss of income, and describing your pain and emotional suffering. If the incident had an effect on your family or significant other, include those details too. Conclude your letter by telling the dog owner what all those losses came to, from a dollar standpoint, and by offering to settle for either that amount or a somewhat lower amount. Be sure to close by saying that unless you receive "a constructive reply" within one week, you will file a claim in small claims court.

After that, you will have to follow up with him, one way or another. If he doesn't reply constructively, you need to write a more firm letter, giving him one last chance to settle with you. If the two of you negotiate a settlement, you need to provide him with a release if he asks for one. If you cannot settle with him, you need to file the case in small claims court.

Letters and forms

If you have $1, you can get whatever you need, when needed, pre-written by Attorney Kenneth Phillips. You don't have to buy all of these forms, just the one that is necessary today. In many cases, just sending the First Letter to the Dog Owner or the Third Letter to Anyone - Threatening Suit will produce full compensation!

If you would like to review everything, want everything available on your own computer, and don't want to keep coming back to Dog Bite Law for more forms, you can get all the letters and forms at the same time, for just $5. It's your choice: buy one letter or form for $1, or get all of them for $5. Please note: new forms are being added, and some are in process, so when you buy the complete collection you will get only what is currently available, not items that will be written in the future or ones that are in process.

Click on the appropriate button to make your purchase. You will find yourself on PayPal page for the Law Offices of Kenneth Morgan Phillips (the author of Dog Bite Law). Very important: after you complete your transaction, PayPal will send you to your download page, so please be careful not to miss the link! You will not be able to download your form unless you follow these directions.

Letters and Forms

First letter to the dog owner - formal	Be sure to pick the right "first letter." There are three to choose from: formal, friendly and businesslike. This is the formal one. Use it to deal with a dog owner whom you do not know well. Compare it with the next two, below. This letter relates the facts of the accident, describes the injuries and costs of treatment,
First letter to the dog owner - friendly	This is a variation on the "first letter." It is informal and friendly. This is appropriate for a neighbor, family member or friend whose dog injured you or your child.
First letter to the dog owner - businesslike	This is another variation on the "first letter." It is short and to the point. Use it if you already have been writing or talking to the dog owner and nothing seems to be working out. It does not get into details, but very directly requests that he either pay you or turn the claim over to his insurance company.
Second letter to anyone -- the dog owner or anyone else	This is a polite but firm letter that asks for a response to a prior communication. Use this when any third party (a dog owner, animal control officer, insurance adjuster, etc.) is ignoring something that you previously put into writing.
Third letter to anyone - threatening a lawsuit	This is a polite but firm letter that says the other party is leaving you with no choice other than to file suit, and threatening to file suit within a certain number of days. Use it when nothing else is working. It will work with anyone (a dog owner, animal control officer, insurance adjuster, etc.)
First letter to animal control department	Asking for animal control records so that you can determine whether the dog previously bit another person.	In process: come back in 1 week
Second letter to animal control department	A polite but firm letter that again requests animal control records, and also includes a sample demand under the Freedom of Information Act	In process: come back in 1 week
Letter to insurance adjuster for dog owner	When an injury requires more than about $1000 in compensation, frequently the dog owner will involve his homeowners or renters insurance company. These insurers employ adjusters whose sole job is to pay you as little as possible. This letter will impress the adjuster and help you make a very effective presentation that will bring results.	In process: come back in 2 weeks
General letter in a legal format	This letter is to be adapted for situations not covered by the more specific letters in this list	In process: come back in 2 weeks
Witness interview worksheet	One of the most important things to avoid a long, drawn-out battle is to provide correct, complete information up front. A good witness interview form like this leaves little or nothing to doubt or fight about.
Government Claim Notice	If your claim is against a government agency or employee, you have to send them a special notice. Ask the agency for their form, and they usually will give it to you. If they tell you that you need to make up your own, ask them what it should contain or get this California form (if the agency is a California agency). If the agency is outside California and they won't help you at all, you should retain a local attorney or if necessary buy a form from him.
Outline of what you need for small claims court	Everyone is entitled to their "day in court," but the down side is that you only have that one shot to get it right. Your right to compensation might seem obvious to you, but it still has to be proved -- and the possible defenses have to be disproved. This outline will help you make an effective presentation in small claims court.	In process: come back in 2 weeks
Release of claim form	When a dog owner finally agrees to pay you, he is entitled to receive a release from liability. Here is a release that should enable you to "close the deal."	In process: come back in 2 weeks
All of the letters and forms described above	This entire set of letters and forms, for anyone who has $5 and wants to have all of them on his computer. NOTE: Does not include any of the items that are "In process." If those forms or other items are added, you will have to buy them separately. Therefore, buy the collection only if you feel you can save time or money by having just the items that currently are available.

Attorney Phillips explains why he is doing this

"Why would a lawyer give people these forms for almost no payment at all?"

"What are you getting out of this, Attorney Phillips? Because it sure isn't money!"

"What's the catch? What's your hidden agenda?"

Attorney Phillips answers:

My career is devoted to dog bite victims. It breaks my heart to find out that someone who loved dogs was badly injured by one, or that an innocent child was hurt by one. I recognize that my education and the opportunities that came my way were great gifts. In exchange for these gifts, I believe that I have a duty to help people.

But the legal system presents all of us with obstacles, including me. The system is designed to be fair to everyone, but there are so many checks and balances that it is often too costly for particular cases. When the price of justice exceeds the benefits of justice, the result is unfairness.

Lawyers cannot handle small dog bite cases on a contingency fee basis. The eventual recovery will not be enough to cover our costs. At the end of a contingency case, there has to be fairness to everyone involved, including not only the client and the defendant, but also the attorneys who handled it. That is the sad truth, and it denies justice to many people. In the USA, less than 7 dog bite victims out of every 100 receive settlements from liability insurers. From all that I see in my law practice, the civil justice system unintentionally deprives too many people of a remedy when they are wronged.

So, to help parents achieve justice for their injured children, to help the utility worker who was bitten while he was servicing the dog owner's house, to help the lady who picked up her dog to keep it from getting mauled but got bitten in the process, I have put these pre-written letters and forms online, for only $1 each.

Use them well -- and do not misuse them. Read Who this is NOT for again: get advice from a lawyer if possible. Keep searching for a lawyer if your case fits one of the descriptions in Who this is NOT for. Don't bother getting these forms if a lawyer (not a police officer, and not an animal control officer, but a lawyer) told you that you do not have the legal right to get compensation in your state.

But if your hands are tied, if you believe you have a valid case but no attorney will help you because it is too small, then these forms are for you..

No guarantees

Every lawyer worth his salt will tell you there are no guarantees in the legal world -- no promise you will win, justice will be done, it will be worth it in the end.

Additionally, no form letter fits every situation, no generic legal document covers every legal issue, nothing on this or any other legal web site creates an attorney-client relationship or entitles you to any remedy whatsoever if the very general guidelines and documents fail to help you or actually hurt you in some way.

But you have decided that you want to do something, even though lawyers won't help you. If you believe that you have a valid case, download the necessary form and get started!

www.dogbitelaw.com and each of its sections and products, including Dog Bite Law, The Dog Bite Law Adviser, Dog Bite Litigation Forms, What To Do If Your Dog Is Injured Or Killed, Avoiding Liability When You Train, Shelter or Adopt-Out, Anatomy of a Dog Bite Case, and the foregoing text, are (c) 1999-2010 Kenneth M. Phillips. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part prohibited except where advance permission is granted in writing. Please read the disclaimer and our rules for linking and quoting. Reporters seeking interviews are welcome to contact us by clicking here.