Dog bites can cause catastrophic bodily injuries and they were back in the news recently in Washington State. The severity of the damage depends on many factors, including the breed of dog, their size, the size of the person being attacked and the length of time the attack goes on. Dog bites can cause serious harm regardless of how minor the injury may appear at first.
Even a simple puncture wound can have lasting consequences unless it’s treated properly. For example, if the dog has rabies, then the victim may develop this disease. Rabies is nearly always fatal unless the patient receives treatment immediately following a bite.
Some of the worst dog bite related injuries come from:
- Shredded tendons, ligaments, arteries and other tissues
- Broken bones and damage to internal organs
- Brain injuries from attacks to the face
- Infection that spreads throughout the body and causes secondary injuries
- Spinal damage from fleeing the animal, a bite to the neck or other serious impacts
It’s hard to imagine “man’s best friend” attacking and seriously hurting someone, but the reality is that dogs sometimes become aggressive. Even a family pet can become scared, fall ill or become angry. Dogs bite around 4.7 million people in America every year.
It’s good to know more about why animals attack and what to do if one approaches you aggressively. To minimize the risk of a serious bite, you should:
- Avoid making eye contact with the animal
- Turn to the side to appear passive
- Cover your head, face and neck if the dog lunges or attacks
- Avoid taunting or hitting animals
- Avoid approaching animals that look ill or that you’re unfamiliar with
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured by a dog bite, the experienced injury attorneys at Cooney Law Offices can investigate your case and fight to get you fair compensation for your injuries. We can help!