When Does A Dog Bite Get Severe Enough To File A Claim?

Every year, about 4 million people become the victim of a dog bite injury. In some cases, the injuries are really mild, while in others, the injury can be really severe. In such cases, the medical bills may only keep piling up as you recover from the physical and emotional pain. So, if you or someone you know has been the victim of a dog bite, you might want to consider hiring an attorney and filing a claim in your case.

Dog bites are widespread injuries that many people experience all over the globe. They are more common in the developed countries and developing nations where there is minimal to no control over stray dogs, and where dogs that are pets often lack proper training. There are many preventative measures that you can follow to avoid dog bites, but dog bites often occur without notice.

It can happen anywhere, everywhere, and almost to anyone. Thus, it is essential to be prepared for every situation, and to take it seriously whether the dog bite injury is mild or severe. Here, we will explore what is involved in aa dog bite case, how you can handle it properly, what complications it can lead to, and when you must get legal assistance from a reputable Personal Injury Lawyer.

There are several types and stages of dog bites.

So before diving into what you need to do after facing a dog bite, you need to know how severe your dog bite is. This list will give you a basic idea. Dog bites are generally categorized by severity. Here are the five levels of dog bite in order of increasing severity with Level 1 as the least severe and level 5 as the most severe.

Level 1: The teeth of the dog did not touch the surface of your skin.

Level 2: The teeth of the dog scratched your skin but did not break the surface.

Level 3: There are approximately one to four shallow puncture wounds in your skin.

Level 4: You have about one to three invasive wounds from just a single bite. At least one single puncture wound is deep.

Level 5: Several bites that include the severe invasive wounds that have resulted from dog bite attacks.

What are the initial and basic steps that you must take after a dog bite?

If a dog has bitten you, you could take some immediate actions to help support your case before you even reach out for medical attention. Reaching a doctor may take quite a bit of time, and if your injury is too severe, you might lose a lot of blood. Therefore it is vitally important that you administer first aid to yourself, if possible, as soon as you are safe and aware that you are bleeding. Here are some well-researched steps that you can follow right after you have experienced a dog bite.

• Place a clean towel over the injury firmly to stop any bleeding.

• Elevate the body part where the dog bite injury has occurred.

• When it is safe to do so, wash the area of the bite carefully with water and soap to avoid infection.

• Put a sterile bandage on the wound.

• Apply antibiotic ointment to the injury every day to prevent infection.

• Apply an antibiotic or antiseptic cream on the injured area each day to avoid any kind of infection.

How do you know that you will need to visit the doctor?

Many people tend to ignore administering first aid to themselves or reporting an injury once they reach safety. After judging the wound's severity and seeing that it is not a serious injury, some people tend to neglect getting medical attention, which is very problematic. Even though a wound might look less invasive or superficial from the outside, there are chances of long-term injuries that affect the victim of a dog bite due to infection or the lack of the vaccination of the dog or lack thereof, your age, or underlying health conditions. Many dog bite victims that did not take their injury to be serious enough have fallen prey to severe ailments later on like rabies. You definitely do not want that to cause more medical issues in the long run which can drain you emotionally and financially.

• The dog bite wound seems comparatively larger and gaping.

• If your wound has stopped secreting blood after applying pressure for fifteen minutes.

• If there is tissue or nerve damage that have been caused because of the dog bite

• If you have not had any tetanus shots to prevent an infection in the last five years.

• If you are bitten by a stray dog or an unknown dog.

• If you have been bitten by an unknown dog or a stray dog that is not vaccinated.

Take the right step by filing a dog bite injury claim.

As you can see, such injuries can lead to significant complications, which may include nerve damage, blood vessel injury, rabies, scarring, and even broken bones. You can be put in a worse condition financially by medical bills or additional medical tests and treatment for long-term complications in such cases. Therefore, one of the wisest approaches is to file a claim against the dog owner to support your medical expenses and you can maximize your request and make the process more comfortable if you hire a dog bite attorney.

Our Fort Myers Dog Bite Attorney has adequate negotiation skills to help you convince insurance agencies, judges and juries to decide in your favor, so that you are entitled to a fair share of compensation for your claim. We can also represent you and present your case vigorously in court if needed.