With 4.5 million dog bites occurring in the States every year, they’re unfortunately common — although that doesn’t make them any less traumatic to deal with.
Ranging from minor to major, with 800,000 of those bites resulting in hospital care, it’s essential that you know what to do if you’re bitten by a dog.
Even if you’re rarely around them, you never know when one might surprise you.
If you’re ever unfortunate enough to be bitten by a dog, read on and follow these steps. Then you can make sure the bite is properly taken care of and the aftermath is handled appropriately.
Assess the Wound
If the dog bite injury is shallow, let the bleeding flow (to cleanse it) and then clean it gently.
If there are puncture marks and the bleeding isn’t stopping, you should call 911 and seek medical help immediately.
If there are any doubts at all, there’s no harm in seeking medical help just in case.
Consider the Dog
Once your wound is dealt with, you should consider the nature of the dog attack you to handle the situation appropriately.
Was it your own dog? Don’t discipline the dog — they won’t associate you losing your temper with what happened in the past. However, it’s important to prevent this from happening again. Consider professional training.
If it was a friend or family member’s dog, or even an owner you can still contact, ask for proof or rabies vaccinations.
If you are attacked by a dog that’s unknown to you, you should seek medical help to get vaccinated right away.
Ask Yourself if You Need Legal Help
Depending on the situation of the bite, you might need legal help.
If the dog has an owner, they might have insurance that covers the dog bite, and that company might call you. They should offer compensation but it’s recommended that you hire a reputable lawyer — such as maryalexanderlaw.com law firm — to deal with an insurance claim on your behalf.
After all, insurance companies can be difficult.
There might be other legal difficulties though. The dog owner could deny fault, or not have insurance and refuse to come to an amicable solution with you. The dog might be dangerous and need action taken.
If you aren’t comfortable dealing with any of these things yourself or run into any difficulties, you really should hire a lawyer. They’ll make sure to get the best possible result for both you and the dog, who may not be living his best life if he’s allowed to run free and be aggressive towards others. As you can see, having a lawyer is essential for almost any type of injury, either if it is related to your personal or professional life. The best thing to do is to put things in motion and do not wait way too much to take action and outsource the legal minutiae to experts.
This is What to Do if a Dog Bites You
Follow these steps for what to do if a dog bites you and you can’t go wrong. The first thing you should do is always deal with the wound and make sure you’re protected against rabies — anything else such as legal help and compensation can come after you’ve ensured your safety.
For more life tips and guides on what to do in tricky situations, check out the rest of our site.
