Dog attacks can cause a wide range of injuries, and result in hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits every year. Due to the potential for serious infections or complications that occur as a result of the attack, injuries from dog bite incidents should always be taken very seriously, even if they seem minor at first.
Common Injuries Suffered in Dog Attacks
According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 368,245 people were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for dog attack injuries in 2001, the majority of whom were children between the ages 5 and 9 years old.
A child may not recognize the dangers of approaching strange dogs, and when they get close to a dog they are typically standing face-to-face. In addition, children often weigh less than some large-breed dogs, and will not be able to outrun the dog who chases after them. As a result, it is often children who suffer:
- Leg, hand, and arm injuries. Many people react to a dog attack by putting their hands out in front of them to protect their faces. Unfortunately, an aggressive dog may latch on to these limbs with a powerful jaw, breaking the skin and tearing through muscle tissue. In some cases, a dog’s bite may be powerful enough to break through the bone.
- Disfigurement. Many victims are left with scars after a dog bite incident. If a dog pulls at an arm or leg for long enough, the skin may tear, requiring surgical intervention to repair the wound. These surgeries almost always result in scars, and can be devastating if they occur on a child’s face. A childhood encounter with a dangerous dog could result in disfigurement that lasts for the rest of a person’s life.
- Emotional injuries. A dog attack is a stressful incident. A victim will experience a great deal of fear and pain, both during the attack and throughout the recovery. There may be long-lasting emotional or psychological trauma, such as a fear of dogs, fear of going outside, or even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for victims who cannot cope with the emotional pain of the incident. If a victim has suffered scarring, he is more likely to suffer psychological effects, as he must look at a physical reminder of the pain every day. Children may need counseling to understand the anger or fear that they feel, while adults may need many years of therapy or medication to cope with the trauma.
- Infections. Dogs attack with their teeth and nails, both of which are potential breeding grounds for bacteria. Injuries involving lacerations and puncture wounds from a bite can cause dangerous infections, especially if the dog may have had rabies.
- Death. In some cases, a dog attack or bite can be fatal to a victim. A bite on the neck can cause bleeding and trauma from shaking or tossing, resulting in death for young children or elderly victims.
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How to Get Payment for Medical Bills After a Dog Bite Incident
Victims often rely on their own medical insurance to pay for the costs of treatment after a dog attack. This may be sufficient to cover minor injuries, but the costs of medication, surgery, and physical therapy can quickly add up. If the victim suffered a prolonged attack or was particularly traumatized by the incident, therapy may be added to the costs of care, bringing the total to tens of thousands of dollars.
If a dog owner did not take proper precautions to protect innocent people from harm, the owner can be held liable for any injuries the dog causes. The Nashville dog bite lawyers at GriffithLaw can help you get the compensation you deserve for medical bills and lost income. Contact our skilled legal team today to begin your free case evaluation, or read through our book, The 10 Worst Mistakes You Can Make With Your Tennessee Injury Case.
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