Dog Bites May Leave You Seriously Injured

The American Medical Association estimates that approximately 13 in 10,000 people will be bitten by dogs this year and require hospitalization.  While that may sound like small numbers, this amounts to over 300,000 emergency room visits for dog bites or 914 visits to the ER per day in America.

Dog Bites Can Cause Serious Harm

Dog bites can be very serious to victims, depending on the severity of the bite or attack, the age of the victim, the duration of the attack or bite, and many other factors.  These can leave serious and lasting injuries including:

• traumatic brain injuries
• damage to nerves
• damage to skin, face, hands, neck
• fatal bleeding
• paralysis
• loss of an eye, ear, nose, or appendage
• death

The American Medical Association estimates that per every fatal dog bite or attack, there are 670 hospitalizations and 16,000 emergency room visits.  Many of these fatal attacks are on children and seniors, who remain vulnerable. 

What Do You Do After a Dog Bite

Following a dog bite, a victim may be in need of medical attention.  But the following are also good rules of thumb to document the situation:

1. Take pictures of your wound, the dog, the scene, witnesses, everything. Document what happened as best as possible.
2. Ask any potential witnesses for their contact information.
3. Separate the dog from the victim and other potential victims.
4. Call the police to report the incident and wait for them to arrive in order to take down a report.

Owners are strictly liable for their dogs' bites.  This means that absent allowed defenses, they could be subject to financial responsibility for your injuries.

If you have suffered a dog bite injury, seek medical attention and contact a skilled personal injury attorney.  You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.  Protect your rights by calling a personal injury attorney today.