Dog Bites Information

When a dog bites a person, the results can be traumatizing. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur each year in the United States,” and of those, about 1 out of every 5 bites results in infection (cdc.gov, 2015). The frightening part of this statistic is that of the 4.7 million people who were bitten, 800,000 people needed medical attention, and half of those people were children. Unfortunately, children are the most at-risk based on their size, strength, and inability to determine a dog’s aggressiveness. Even adults can neglect to keep a safe distance from an aggressive dog. That is why it is important to understand the details of your situation before proceeding with a lawsuit. According to the CDC, an estimated $169.9 million in direct medical costs are caused by dog bites per year in the United States (cdc.gov, 2014). In the event that you are bitten by a dog, depending on your situation, you have options to seek compensation for your injuries to help cover medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage.

If you have been injured as a result of a dog bite, please call our Beverly Hills attorneys at One Law Group and schedule an appointment for an assessment of your situation. We have helped several people recover damages after being bitten by aggressive dogs. Call (844) 626-1529 today for a free case evaluation.

Why do dogs bite?

Many people assume that Pit Bulls are the dogs that bite the most because they are naturally aggressive dogs, but that is not entirely true. In fact, veterinarians have reported that aggressive, high-risk dogs are simply products of their environments: if the owners are high-risk people, then their pets will most likely be high-risk as well (dogbites.org, 2015). According to the professionals at Canine Journal, there is no specific breed of dog that will bite more than others, and a dog that bites may not always bite with aggressive intentions (caninejournal.com, 2015). The fact is that dogs bite for many different reasons, such as: when they’re scared, when threatened, to protect themselves, their puppies, or their owners, when they’re not feeling well, when startled, and when they are just being playful (these are nips or soft bites). The attorneys at One Law Group need to be able to prove that the dog owner should be held liable based on their negligence. Being bitten by a dog can happen, and if or when it does, you need to know that our Beverly Hills attorneys are here to help.

For more information on Dog Bite Law and how the attorneys at One Law Group can assist you with recovering damages for your injuries, please call (844) 626-1529 today for a free case evaluation.

Here are some tips from the CDC in the event that you are bitten or get attacked by a dog:

• Put your purse, bag, or jacket between you and the dog to protect yourself.
• If you are knocked down, curl into a ball with your head tucked in and your hands over your ears and neck.
• When you get to a safe place, immediately wash the wounds with soap and water, and seek medical attention.
• Because anyone who is bitten by a dog is at risk of getting rabies, consider contacting your local animal control agency or police department to report the incident.
• Contact the owner of the dog and ensure the animal is current with rabies vaccination. Obtain the rabies vaccine license number, name of the veterinarian who administered the vaccine, and the owner’s name, address, and phone number.

(All tips for dog bites were obtained from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))