What to do if children are injured by dog bites or dog attacks There are a number of things you need to do regardless of the severity of the dog bite or laceration. Let’s tackle them in chronological order.
Seek medical treatment
When a child is severely abused, everyone knows they need to see a doctor. However, with a small bite, you should consult a doctor. The dog bite pierces the skin and introduces a number of bacteria into the body. They are prone to infection, and first aid cannot completely prevent that. In addition, many dog bites are deep puncture wounds or lacerations. These injuries should not be treated with bandages. They often need stitches. Delaying a visit to a doctor increases the likelihood of scarring and infection.
Document everything
Your child’s medical records are an essential part of a potential litigation or insurance settlement. However, you should collect other related documentation. Determine who witnessed the case and write down their contact information. Any attorney you hire will want this information. Did the dog bit other people? Find out who and when this happened. If there were police reports, get that information. Find out if the animal has bitten or abused other pets. This also speaks for you, because it shows that the dog is aggressive. Have the police or animal welfare been called because their aggressive dogs were chasing people? Get the information about the event including witness information. And evidence that the dog’s owners negligently let aggressive animals roam free or didn’t bother to contain them strengthens your case.
Contact a lawyer
Unfortunately, hire a lawyer is often necessary if your child has been bitten by a dog. It may be necessary to force the dog owner to pay for medical bills, consultations, and anything else your child may need. It is often necessary to work with an attorney to compel the pet owner to take responsibility for the animal. Do they need a subpoena for not repairing the hole in the fence that their dog repeatedly escaped through? Do they let the animals roam free without caring who or what is harmed? You could file civil lawsuits and criminal charges against someone. If the dog was taken away by the authorities and portrayed as a threat to others, realize you can still sue them for the damage involved. Someone who hasn’t socialized their dogs properly or has abused them with the intention of making them more aggressive could have all of their other animals taken away from them as well.
Don’t be put off by anyone’s claims that the dog is so cute. Any dog can bite. Aggressive breeds have higher insurance premiums because they are more prone to it. But a dog that has been trained to attack or intimidate others can be of any breed. An abused or injured dog may bite as a defensive reflex. And the owner still bears some blame as long as the victim didn’t provoke the animal.
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