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Types of Injuries
Dog attacks can lead to the following:
Bites — Puncture wounds and tearing wounds caused when the attacking dog clamps down the jaw muscles and fangs.
Scars —The most frequent target of dog attacks is the face, including the lips, nose, and cheeks, which can leave disfiguring scars.
Emotional or Psychological Injuries — Children and adults who have been attacked and injured by a vicious dog can carry emotional scars with them for the rest of their lives.
Rabies — This disease that attacks the brain and nervous system is transmitted in the saliva of animals infected with the rabies virus.
Head or Brain Injuries — These injuries can occur if the dog bites the head of the victim, or if the victim hits the head on a hard object while trying to fend off the attack.
Death — Dog bites cause an average of 18 deaths per year in the United States.
Dog Bites, Animal Bites
Topics on this page:
- Types of Damages Recoverable
- Types of Injuries: Dog Bites and Dog Attacks
- Investigating the Attack: Who is Responsible?
- Time Limits to File a Lawsuit
Dog bites, attacks by vicious dogs and other animal bites are terrifying events for victims and their families. The injuries suffered in these attacks go far beyond a simple “bite,” and can result in permanent physical and emotional problems, or even death. Children make up 60% of dog bite victims, with the most severe injuries happening to children under 10 years of age.
The experienced personal injury attorneys of Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff understand the long-term consequences of dog attacks. We know how to fully investigate the circumstances of the attack, identify all possible responsible parties and insurance companies, and handle these complex cases from start to finish. We also help victims get proper medical treatment, including psychiatric counseling, when necessary.
Types of Damages Recoverable
If you or a loved one has been injured by a dog attack, you may be entitled to:
- Payment for past and future medical treatment expenses, including mental health treatment
- Loss of past and future income and earning capacity
- Emotional distress
- Past and future pain and suffering
- Other expenses caused by the attack
Additional punitive damages may be available if it can be proven that the responsible party knew that the dog was dangerous to others but intentionally did nothing to prevent attacks from happening.
Types of Injuries: Dog Bites and Dog Attacks
Bites — Puncture wounds and tearing wounds are caused when the attacking dog clamps down the jaw muscles and fangs (long canine teeth), puncturing and tearing the skin and flesh of the victim. Bites often are accompanied by scratches from “swiping” with a tooth or clawing with the paws during the attack.
Scars — The most frequent target of dog attacks is the face, including the lips, nose, and cheeks, causing approximately 44,000 facial injuries seen in U.S. hospitals per year. These wounds can result in disfiguring scars that can have lifelong consequences from both a physical and emotional standpoint, especially in children. Additionally, facial scars and scars on other parts of the body can require repeated painful and expensive plastic surgeries to try to reduce or remove the scar.
Emotional or Psychological Injuries — Children and adults who have been attacked and injured by a vicious dog can carry emotional scars with them for the rest of their lives. These psychological injuries can affect every part of their lives, from holding a job to being able to sleep at night. Some people develop Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with symptoms of frightening memories, flash backs of the attack, nightmares, unreasonable fear for personal safety, difficulty concentrating, and emotional withdrawal. Such mental injuries may require lifelong psychological treatment and counseling.
Rabies — This disease that attacks the brain and nervous system is transmitted in the saliva of animals infected with the rabies virus. Rabies is a fatal disease if it is not treated in time. Dog bite and dog attack victims must seek medical attention immediately after being bitten, in case the attacking dog had rabies. If the animal cannot be identified, caught and tested, it is necessary for the bite victim to undergo a series of 6 shots (1 human immunoglobulin and 5 rabies vaccine shots) over a period of 28 days. Treatment must be started early (before rabies symptoms appear) or the disease will cause death.
Head or Brain Injuries — These injuries can occur if the dog bites the head of the victim, or if the victim hits the head on a hard object while trying to fend off the attack. Head injuries can be as simple as a bump on the head or as serious as a fractured skull or brain injury causing permanent disability.
Broken Bones and Crush Injuries — When a dog attacks, broken bones can result if the victim is knocked to the ground or falls when fleeing the attacking dog. The powerful jaws of some dogs can cause bone-crushing injuries even when the skin is not broken because of clothing protection.
Death — Dog bites cause an average of 18 deaths per year in the United States. When a victim dies in a dog attack, the surviving spouse, children or parents of the victim are entitled to file a wrongful death action for the loss of such things as the future earnings of the victim.
Investigating the Attack: Who is Responsible?
Dog bite attacks require a full and prompt investigation so that none of the important facts and information will be lost:
Identify the animal
Rabies is the most important reason to identify the animal that bit the victim. If the animal is not identified and tested for rabies, the victim may have to undergo painful six-shot rabies treatment. Also, if the animal is a danger to others, it may need to be confined or destroyed.
Identify the owner of the animal
The owner may be held responsible to pay your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages caused by the attack. It may be necessary to prove that the owner was aware of the dangerous nature of the animal and its tendency to bite and attack.
Identify all other parties who may be responsible
In addition to the owner of the attacking animal, others who may be responsible include landlords who allowed the dangerous animal to live on their property or who failed to repair fences, the animal caretaker or trainer, any person who angered or provoked the dog, law enforcement agencies if a police dog causes injury when ordered by its trainer to apply “unreasonable force,” or other government agencies such as animal control agencies for failing to keep an area safe from dangerous dogs or for exposing people to dangerous dogs at the pound.
Identify all insurance coverage that may be responsible to pay
Insurance that may be available to pay damages includes homeowners or other property liability insurance, self-insurance for government agencies, commercial insurance for landlords and businesses.
Investigate the “attack history” of the dog
This is essential information if someone claims that the victim provoked the dog into attacking. About 15 states allow a dog “one free bite.” Under these circumstances, it is important to show that the dog bit others or showed a propensity to bite, before this biting incident.
Time Limits to File a Lawsuit
Statutes of Limitations, time limits to file a law suit, vary from state to state, so it is important to find out early what the limits are on your claim. Figuring out the precise time limits for your claim can be a very complex matter, so it is important to get solid legal advice. In addition to getting legal advice early, there are two important general rules that must be kept in mind:
- If there is any chance that a government agency, employee, or humane society/SPCA will be responsible for the attack, the time limit can be as little as 60 days. Under these circumstances, it is wise to consult an attorney immediately after the injury.
- If there is no possible chance that a government agency will be responsible, generally the victim will have one year from the date of the attack/injury to file a law suit.
If you or a loved one has been bit by a dog or other animal, fill out and submit the contact form on this page for a free case evaluation or call us toll-free at (888) 285-3333.
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