Like everything else in this world, animals are not perfect, but when they inflict personal injury, their owners must be held responsible. Dog bites are extremely painful and frightening, and in some cases, they end lives. Victims who experience this painful injury are sometimes left alone to deal with PTSD, permanent scarring, or emergency facial reconstructive surgery.
Dog bites are a regular occurrence in the United States of America. This painful sensation takes place when a canine aggressively sinks their teeth into any part of your body. Any and every dog is capable of biting. Even smallest, domesticated, “friendly” dogs are still able to be put in a position where their only response is to bite. At their best, dog bites are extremely painful, but at their worst, dog bites can be life-ending. This is exactly why it is so important for us to understand how dog bites happen, and steps pet owners can take to diminish the chances of their canines acting out of character.
Dog bites are typically a reaction to a stressful or unsure situation. If a canine feels as though they have been startled, threatened, or frightened, they may react by biting their toys, food, or in less desirable circumstances, a person’s flesh.
Dog bites can also be caused by possessiveness. Dogs can be clingy; if you mess with their toys, food, personal space, or their owner, many of them will not hesitate to react.
It’s not uncommon for a dog to become a bit more aggressive after having puppies. Maternal instincts are strong, and if a dog recently gave birth, she would not hesitate to bite if she feels like there is a threat present who may hurt her puppies. Children and adults alike should remember to respect the space of a dog and her newborn pups.
Prey drive is another cause of dog bites. Roaming dogs who aimlessly stroll around towns and neighborhoods are looking for something to do, and if they are approached, they may react aggressively. Because of this, you may need to be careful if you approach a roaming dog while walking or running around the city.
There are leash laws in place to protect civilians from on-the-loose canines. However, not everybody chooses to dutifully follow them. We have all seen dog owners at the park running behind or to the side of their pet, only for the canine to venture off on its own at some point.
It seems like dog bites will always be a problem in our society, to a certain extent. There is no type of training that can guarantee to eliminate 100% of all risk of dog biting. Pet owners should still train their canines to be well-behaved, domesticated animals, but because dog bites are still very possible, you should know how to handle your emergency in case you are ever bitten.
Documentation is so important for virtually all personal injury lawsuits, and dog bite injuries are no exception to this rule. If you are ever involved in a canine attack, the first thing you should do is document the pet owner’s full name, contact information (phone number, address, e-mail, etc.) and where the dog bite took place.
Take pictures of the injury prior to receiving medical attention. Next, seek out a professional medical evaluation. Dog bites can cause much more than just simple scrapes, cuts, and lacerations. If you’ve experienced broken bones, nerve damage, or rabies, you will be able to find out immediately by getting evaluated by a physician.
Retain all documentation and information you’ve collected up to this point, including your medical records and all follow-up treatment suggested by your primary physician.
The “One Bite Rule” is a piece of legislation all parties should be aware of. Under common law, this is a law put in place that protects dog owners who have never observed or experienced aggressive behavior in their dogs. This law states that until a canine displays hostile behavior towards a specific person, the pet owner is virtually relieved of any responsibilities if the dog ends up biting someone unprovoked.
Like any other law, there are nuances the more you look into the piece of legislation, but this basically means that if you expect to win a dog bite lawsuit, you must be able to prove that:
Dog bites are problems that have place in society. This type of personal injury can carry disease, and it can also traumatize children into thinking all dogs are bad. It will also deter other adults from becoming pet owners. Pet adoption has seen a bit of an influx during the Coronavirus, but individuals should still be aware of some of the most popular dog bite injuries.
Lacerations, scrapes, and cuts are common results of dog attacks. Many dog breeds have sharp teeth, and lacerations are no surprise when it comes to dog bites. If you’ve been lacerated by a canine, you may have experienced heavy bleeding, permanent scarring, and intense physical pain.
Broken bones can occur during severe dog attacks. Depending on the size of the victim and the overall power of the dog, bites can break bones. Chihuahuas and dachshunds may not have enough jaw strength to actually break a bone, but this injury can take place if a larger dog such as a Pitbull or Great Dane victimizes a child. Facial injuries are also common in dog attacks. Canines typically aim for the face when attacking humans. Because of this, many victims experience some sort of injury to their eyes, nose, mouth, or ears.
Mental health damage is a real consequence of a dog bite. Being severely injured by a canine can have terrible effects on the mind, especially when the victim is a young child. Many children who experience dog bites as a young age deal with ongoing PTSD as they grow into adulthood. Because of this, they may find themselves going out of their way to avoid dogs or experiencing painful flashbacks when reminded of the traumatic event.
In the United States of America, citizens have a 1 in 70 chance of being bitten by a canine, whereas the chances of being killed in a dog attack is only 1 in 112,400. Statistically speaking, individuals are more likely to be victimized by choking (1 in 2,618) or a natural disaster (1 in 54,699).
The COVID-19 pandemic had a positive effect pet adoption around America. Many shelters reported a 73% increase in community adoption rates in 2020.
A petite frame does not always carry a docile mood. Chihuahuas and dachshunds are two of the smallest dogs in the world, but according to statistics, they are two of the most aggressive dog breeds.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, dog attacks increased by 300%. Children and teenagers suffer more than 40% of all dog bite injuries that require emergency medical attention.
Animals have a unique ability to bring so much joy into our lives, but a dog bite will lead to nothing but pain and problems. Aggressive pets who seek to injure or kill civilians must be kept in check, and if their owners allow their negligent and irresponsible nature to allow their dog to seriously injure an innocent citizen, they must be held accountable for their (lack of) actions.
Our Houston dog bite lawyers care about the innocent victims whose lives have been changed as the result of a vicious dog bite. No personal injury case is too big or small for our team. At Pusch & Nguyen Law Firm, clients are treated with the utmost respect and care, and our lawyers vow to give your case the attention it deserves. We are well aware of the potential damage that can come to fruition as a result of a dog bite. Hire the best personal injury lawyers in Houston today by calling us at 713-597-8420 to set up your free consultation with a member of our legal team.