Dog Bite Injuries Can Be Serious

Dog bites can cause many different types of serious injuries. Victims often experience much more than the pain of healing or the inconvenience of a scar – some victims will be permanently unable to return to their normal lives. California law requires dog owners to compensate Bite victims for the losses they suffer. At Deldar Legal, our experienced Los Angeles Dog Bite lawyers fight hard to protect your family’s legal rights. Call (844) 335-3271 to schedule your free consultation.

The Types of Injuries Dog Bites Can Cause

A dog bite can result in many different types of injuries. Here are just some of the injuries that are commonly associated with dog bites:

Head and neck wounds

The face, head, and neck are particularly vulnerable to dog bite wounds. The face has a significant number of nerves and is protected by relatively thin layers of skin. The head protects the brain – the most important organ in the human body. And the neck houses several critical blood vessels. Damage to these blood vessels can cause a person to quickly go into shock or even bleed to death.

Traumatic brain injuries

Trauma to the head can lead to brain damage. Brain injuries can be minor, such as a concussion that resolves on its own in a few days. But serious brain damage can lead to painful and lengthy recoveries. Some brain damage will never fully heal. When a person is unable to work or engage in normal activities due to a brain injury, the person who caused that brain injury has a legal duty to compensate the victim for these losses.

Broken bones

A broken bone can often heal with the simple treatment of being placed in a cast for a few weeks – but not without significant pain and inconvenience. Broken bones can also, however, present medical complications that cause the victim pain and delay the recovery process. Nerve damage can be extremely painful. Underlying medical conditions or calcium deficiencies can delay the process of bone regrowth. Complicated breaks might require the victim to stay in traction, thus disrupting their work, hobbies, family life, and other daily activities. A fair settlement offer must account for each victim’s particular circumstances in healing from broken bones.

Lacerations

Lacerations are what we commonly refer to as “cuts.” A laceration may be skin deep, and insurance companies will often try to downplay this as a minor injury. Getting stitches can be a frightening experience – especially for younger victims. Lacerations can also lead to scarring, and this, too, is a compensable loss. But lacerations can be far more dangerous than simply broken skin. Some lacerations piece critical blood vessels or internal organs. In the case of a dog bite, the strength of the dog’s jaw can easily pierce these vital body parts through the skin, causing extremely severe and dangerous injuries.

Internal organ damage

Because dogs have a strong bite, they can easily pierce the skin. This can make vital internal organs – such as the lungs, heart, kidney, liver, pancreas, and bladder – vulnerable to injury. This could be as minor as bruising that resolves on its own. It could also present a life-threatening situation that requires emergency surgery to correct. These medical procedures are expensive, and recovering from surgery can be a long and painful process. Negligent dog owners are responsible for compensating victims for their pain and suffering, medical bills and lost wages that result from a dog bite.

Infection

One of the most common risks of dog bites is infection. Dogs have many different types of bacteria in their mouths, and this makes it possible that a dog bite victim will get some sort of an infection as a result of the bite. The victim might have to get a tetanus shot or undergo a course of antibiotics. Some serious infections might even require antibiotics to be delivered intravenously (through an IV line). The risk of infection cannot be minimized. An insurance company will often try to downplay this is as a simple matter that is easily resolved with antibiotics. Dog bite injury victims have the right to compensation for the complications associated with infection.

How to Prevent Dog Bites

A Riverside dog bite lawyer can help you determine whether a dog owner was negligent in failing to control his or her dog. But it is also important to learn how to protect yourself around dogs. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has issued tips on how to avoid dog bites. This is especially important for young children, who do not always understand how to interact with dogs safely. Here are the CDC’s Dos and Don’ts for safely interacting with dogs:

Do

• Always ask if it is okay to pet someone else’s dog before reaching out to pet the dog.
• When approached by an unfamiliar dog, remain motionless (“be still like a tree”).
• If a dog knocks you over, curl into a ball with your head tucked and your hands over your ears and neck.
• Immediately let an adult know about any stray dogs or dogs that are behaving strangely.

Don’t

• Don’t approach an unfamiliar dog.
• Don’t run from a dog.
• Don’t panic or make loud noises.
• Don’t disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
• Don’t pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
• Don’t encourage your dog to play aggressively.
• Don’t let small children play with a dog unsupervised.

Call Us Today to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a Los Angeles Dog Bite Attorney

A dog bite can affect you and your family for years to come. If you or someone you love has been hurt, it is important to consult with a dog bite injury lawyer as soon as you can. Call Deldar Legal at (844) 335-3271 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation with an experienced Los Angeles Dog Bite lawyer. We fight hard for California dog bite victims.

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