It seems like service animal discussions are popping up more than ever in the media. Often, these animals (typically, dogs) are confused for emotional support animals. However, they are not the same. A service dog has received specific training to serve and support someone with disabling injuries or special needs.
Victims of car accidents often suffer from an array of disabling injuries. Examples include spinal cord damage and traumatic brain injuries, which may leave victims with special needs. In many cases, acquiring a service dog or other animal can significantly improve a victim’s life, but how can you pay for such an animal?
Options to cover service animal expenses after a car accident
Getting a service dog is not cheap, with initial costs often reaching as high as $30,000 to $50,000. These costs reflect the training and abilities of the animal, which is why they are so expensive. You can also expend to spend thousands of dollars annually to care for the dog.
- Out-of-pocket: paying to purchase or adopt the dog out of your finances.
- Loans: some people must take out expensive loans to acquire a service animal.
- Crowdfunding: creating an account on GoFundMe or other platforms can help.
- Grants: several organizations exist to help cover the costs of getting and training a service dog.
In our years helping car accident victims in Lawrenceville, we have worked with many people who needed service dogs. Unfortunately, they often cannot afford such animals even when using the options above. With this in mind, we want to suggest one more option worth exploring.
It may be possible to receive enough compensation in a car accident lawsuit to help you get a service animal. We recommend asking an attorney about this option. If your car accident occurred because of negligence, you have a good chance of getting the maximum amount of compensation possible.
You can find more car accident and injury topics on our website and blog. We invite you to continue reading.
