What You Need To Know About Dog Bites And Children
While many children enjoy being around dogs, the dogs may not always enjoy being around children. In some unfortunate cases, a dog may bite a child. If this happens to your child, you need to know the following.
Why Are Dog Bites Dangerous?
In addition to the pain inflicted by a dog bite, there are some additional issues that can occur. Infection is a common problem with dog bites, particularly if they are not cleaned as soon as possible. If an infection is left to fester, it can result in more complicated problems. Especially significant bites can cause muscle tears. When a muscle is torn, it can cause deformation and take years to fully heal. Dog bites typically result in severe major scarring. Probably one of the most debilitating results of dog bites is post-traumatic stress disorder and emotional damage.
What Do You Do After a Dog Bite?
If your child is bitten by a dog, you first need to find out if the dog is vaccinated if the owner is nearby. Next, you need to get your child to the emergency room for treatment. The doctor will treat the wound and provide you with instructions when you go home. Depending on how traumatized your child is, you may need to get your child into therapy to deal with the emotional scarring.
You may want to contact law enforcement to get the incident on record. This is especially necessary if the dog was behaving in an aggressive manner.
Should You Call an Attorney?
You next need to contact your attorney. You will likely have expensive medical bills that the owner of the dog will be responsible for. Your child has the right to safety and the dog owner has the responsibility to contain his or her dog. Your personal injury attorney will help you with gathering the evidence you need to file a claim for compensation. If you initially attempt to settle with an insurance company, you have the option to accept your first offer. If you do not believe the offer you receive is fair or will not cover your needs, you can renegotiate the settlement. If a renegotiated settlement does not yield you the sum you want, you have the option to take your case to court. During that time, a judge will hear your case, along with a jury in some cases. The decision made in court is final, but you may get more money than with an insurance settlement.