Dog Bite Injury: Treatment and Lawsuits

Attacks from dogs regularly cause serious injury and even death to victims. Commonly, young children and the elderly at most at risk from dog bite attacks; however, anyone can become a victim. The Humane Society estimates that nearly 4.6 million Americans suffer from a dog bite attack each year, with over 25 fatal attacks occurring annually. Dog bite victims know the owner of their canine attacker in over three-fourths of bite incidents. Once an animal is restrained, victims of dog bites should immediately seek medical attention. At this point, the treatment of all medical injuries is the most important thing for a victim to take care of.

Treatment of a Dog Bite Injury

In most cases, treatment of dog bites does not fall into the usual office hours of a general practitioner, and therefore, most dog bite injury treatments occur in hospital emergency rooms. Obviously, even with insurance, this treatment can prove costly. Typically, lacerations are the most common dog bite injury, which have to be carefully cleaned due to a high risk of infection. In serious cases, life-saving surgery is needed right away to repair life-threatening wounds, such as attacks where dogs went for the neck and face areas of their victim. All of these medical costs should be documented and tabulated for future reference. All future medical and recovery care should also be documented and tabulated, which might include rehabilitation appointments and even post-traumatic stress treatment.

Liability of Dog Owner for Injury

Dog owners, whose pet has attacked a human being, face series liability for the actions of their animal. Except for rare cases of an animal attacking an intruder or other individual attempting to harm the dog’s owner, dog bites result in civil and potentially criminal liability. Some known aggressive dog breeds, such as pit bulls and other menacing dogs, are sometimes not even legally allowed in certain jurisdictions. If an owner fails to restrain these animals properly, criminal charges at a felony level for attacks leading to injury or death.

Owners Responsibility for Injury Costs

Items that a dog owner found liable for damages to victims may be responsible for can include the following costs:

• Victim’s medical and recovery expenses
• Victim’s property damage
• Victim’s lost wages
• Victim’s pain and suffering
• Victim’s loss of mobility or body function
• Costs of euthanizing dog that attacked
• Punitive damages for wanton negligence
• Criminal fines for criminal violations stemming from the dog attack

Legal Remedies for the Victim: Injury Lawsuit

Using an attorney is extremely important following a dog bite attack. Victims may require extensive surgery and reconstructive procedures to repair damages from a menacing canine. Owners are responsible for any criminal or negligent actions leading up to the damages their dog caused the victims. A personal injury attorney that specializes in dog bite attacks can help rectify these situations.

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