The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that about 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year and that approximately 800,000 of those people end up in the emergency room. The CDC recently spoke with a physician about what you and your family should know about dog bites.
Most importantly, out of the millions of people bitten each year, only 15-20 will actually die from their dog attack personal injuries. Of those people, most are very young children who are bitten by a family dog or dog that the family knows.
He recommends that if your child is bitten by a dog, you should take them to the hospital immediately. If you have access to the dog’s medical records, including immunizations, bring those to the hospital. It is also important, of course, to have medical records and the immunization history of your child, especially because the doctor will want to know if your child has had a tetanus shot.
He also says there are specialized surgeries that can be used to repair substantial bodily damage from dog bites, such as crushed bones, tendons, or nerves. These wounds take time to repair and heal, and may not be able to be repaired right away. If a child has scars from dog bites, they may be able to get reconstructive surgery further down the road.
If you, a loved one or someone you know well has been the victim of serious personal injuries or wrongful death as a result of a dog attack, please do not delay. Call a personal injury lawyer, wrongful death lawyer or dog bite lawyer today. Our highly skilled, talented, and expert dog attack attorneys have more than two decades of experience and have won many millions of dollars in damages owed to our clients.
Our personal injury lawyer advocates wrongful death legal experts are available to dog bite victims 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to discuss your dog bite claims. Call our law office today. Your needs are our top priority!