You can maximize the dollar amount of a dog bite settlement by doing 2 things: Getting full medical care, and Hiring a respected dog bite lawyer. Getting medical care after a dog bite creates a paper trail of your losses. It reduces speculation about your condition and how much treatment would cost. This adds certainty to your case, which can be reflected in the settlement offer. Hiring a dog bite lawyer can also increase your potential settlement. Insurance companies know which lawyers will accept low settlement offers and which ones will take the case to trial and win a verdict. Finding and hiring a dog bite lawyer that insurance companies fear can push them into offering higher settlement offers to keep the case from going to trial.