Did you know that each year, an estimated 4.5 million Americans sustain a dog bite? While many of those injuries do not require significant medical attention or result in significant damages, thousands leave their victims with lost wages, piles of medical bills, scarring, disabilities, and emotional trauma. In cases where the dog’s owner, or the owner of the property you were on, was negligent, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses.
How can a dog seriously injure you? In this week’s post, we will take a look at the most common types of dog attack injuries and complications in Washington State.
- Puncture wounds. By far the most common injury from dog attacks is puncture wounds, both from dog bites and dog claws. The seriousness of puncture wounds vary from surface scratches to deep tissue injuries that require professional cleaning, stitches, and possibly antibiotics.
- Tendon and ligament damage. If dog bites go deep, they could affect more than your skin. The most serious bite wounds can damage your tendons and ligaments, especially around your hands, feet, knees, and shoulders. This type of damage often require surgery and longer recovery times.
- Nerve damage. Deep bite wounds can also result in permanent nerve damage. Nerve damage can result in tingling, weakness, paralysis, ongoing pain, or inability to feel pain. It can be especially devastating to suffer nerve damage in your face, which can result in disfigurement.
- Organ damage. Puncture wounds in your chest or abdomen area can result in organ damage, such as damage to the liver, stomach, or intestines. These injuries can have severe consequences, including organ failure or sepsis.
- Scarring and disfigurement. Even somewhat superficial dog bites can leave behind scarring and disfigurement. This can be especially heartbreaking because dogs often bite children on visible parts of their body, such as the hands or the face. Scarring and disfigurement may be improved with plastic surgeries, but these surgeries can be very painful, time-consuming, and expensive.
- Infection. Dog’s mouths and paws are teeming with dirt and bacteria, and puncture wounds can be deep. Wounds, especially if untreated by a medical professional, can become infected, an issue that may become life-threatening or require hospitalization.
- Concussion or head trauma. When a dog attacks, the victim is often thrown off of their feet at the same time that they are fending off the animal. This can mean that they strike their head, hard, on the ground, floor, or asphalt. This head strike can lead to a traumatic brain injury that causes ongoing issues for the victim, including headaches, memory loss, or even personality changes.
- Emotional trauma. Being violently attacked by an animal–or suffering from disfigurement–can have lasting psychological effects including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and phobias. These issues often require both therapy and medication, which can be costly.
We believe that it’s also important to mention some of the lesser-known injuries that dog attacks can cause. For example, serious dog attacks on children or the elderly can cause broken bones, amputations, or even death. Other dog bites may rarely result in rabies, a bloodborne disease that is extremely dangerous and even fatal to humans.
Speak With A Washington Dog Bite Attorney About Your Case Today
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious dog bite, you may be owed compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, or other losses–including what you’ve spent on reconstructive surgery or psychological therapy. Learn more about your case by speaking with an experienced, compassionate Seattle dog bite attorney about your case. Chong Ye offers free, private meetings about dog bite cases. To learn more, or to schedule, please call us today at (253) 946-0577 or fill out our short online contact form.