Although a dog may seem friendly at first glance, it can turn vicious in the blink of an eye. Sadly, those who are on the receiving end of a dog bite can end up seriously injured. Some are even killed in these animal attacks.
Those who are fortunate enough to survive, though, can be left with significant damages, from medical bills to pain and suffering and lifelong disfigurement. And while these may seem like rare instances, the truth of the matter is that dog bites are more common than most people realize.
Dog bite statistics that matter
There are a lot of studies and reports on dog bite injuries. That means that there are a lot of statistics out there to inform us of the breadth of this problem. Let’s look at some of those statistics here:
- About 4.5 million dog bites occur each year in the United States, with about 20% of those bites becoming infected.
- Almost 1,000 people a day are treated in emergency rooms for dog-bite injuries.
- Each year, tens of thousands of people undergo reconstructive surgery to repair damage caused by a dog bite.
- Dog bite-related hospital stays nearly doubled between the early 1990s and the late 2000s.
- The average expense tied to a dog bite-related hospital stay is more than $18,000, which is way more than the average injury-related hospitalization.
- Dog-bite injuries are four times more likely to occur in a rural area than an urban setting.
- Medicaid and Medicare tend to cover just a little over one-third of dog bite-related medical care.
- Those who have two dogs in their home are five times more likely to be bitten than those who live without a dog.
- Those who suffer dog-bite injuries incur more than $1 billion in cumulative losses each year.
There are many other statistics out there that you might find useful. For example, there are many studies out there linking pit bulls to higher rates of attack and more significant injuries. However, you can’t place the blame for all dog-bite injuries on a particular breed. Even seemingly small dogs can unleash a vicious bite that can cause significant damage.
What to do if you’ve been bitten
If you’ve been bitten by someone else’s dog, you need to seek out immediate and ongoing medical care. You might also want to consider taking legal action. Before you do so, though, you’ll want to gather as much evidence as possible to support your claim. This means getting witness accounts of the event, tracking your medical expenses and other economic damages and keeping a journal of how your injuries have affected your daily living and your enjoyment of life. Once you have all of that information, you might be ready to put together a case in hopes of finding accountability and recovering compensation for your losses.
Do you need a legal ally in your corner?
If you’re like a lot of dog bite victims, you’ve never ventured into the legal arena. As a result, you might find the process daunting, stressful and completely overwhelming. You might not even know where to start the process.
Don’t worry, though. Legal teams like ours are here to ensure that you can build the aggressive and thorough legal claim that is necessary to position your case for success. So, if you want to learn more about how to approach your case, please consider reaching out to an attorney who you think will properly fight for the outcome that you deserve.