Dog Attack Victims Experience Severe Physical and Psychological Trauma

Dog attack victims often suffer from severe physical trauma, including lacerations, puncture wounds, and broken bones. In fact, according to our research, over 80% of dog attack victims require medical attention.

The severity of physical trauma can vary greatly depending on the size and breed of the dog, as well as the location and duration of the attack. For example, a dog with a powerful bite force can cause significant damage to a person's face or neck.

Dog attack victims may also experience severe psychological trauma, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In some cases, the trauma can be so severe that it affects a person's daily life and relationships.

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1 out of every 5 dog bite injuries requires medical attention, and 1 out of every 13 requires emergency care. Medical bills can add up quickly, especially if the victim is hospitalized or requires surgery.

A single night in the hospital can cost over $20,000, and the victim may also incur costs for ambulance service, doctor bills, medications, therapy, and follow-up care. These costs can be overwhelming, especially if the victim has to take time off work to recover.

The most common damages suffered in a dog attack are physical, including soft tissue damage, muscle damage, nerve damage, lacerations, eye injuries, and broken bones. Dog bite lawyers can help victims recover compensation for these damages, as well as lost income and pain and suffering.

Here are some common medical expenses associated with dog bites:

Facial injuries are common in dog bite cases, especially among young children, often resulting in immediate reconstructive surgery and additional procedures over time.

Skin grafting and microsurgical repair may require multiple procedures, as do scar diminishment treatments like dermabrasion and pressure scar modification.

Recent medical studies are examining dog bite injuries that involve multiple anatomic locations, requiring multiple procedures.

A 2020 study identified "mauling injuries" as three or more complex wounds inflicted in two or more distinct regional anatomic areas, typically the head and neck regions, and required multiple operative interventions.

Pit bulls were responsible for 71% of "mauling injuries" among the top-biting breeds in the same study.

Worth a look: Dog Bite

Dog bites can result in severe injuries, including crushing injuries, internal injuries, and fractures, as well as infections, septicemia, and osteomyelitis.

The most common principal diagnoses for dog bite-related hospitalizations include skin and subcutaneous tissue infections, open wounds of extremities, and open wounds of the head, neck, and trunk.

Here are some common types of injuries resulting from dog bites:

Victims of dog attacks often suffer from debilitating anxiety, sleeplessness, and depression as a result of the emotional trauma.

Emotional distress can be long-term, and in some cases, severe enough to cause Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Children are particularly vulnerable to the emotional effects of a dog attack, which can lead to long-term psychological damage.

You may be compensated for emotional trauma, including anticipated pain and suffering that may be long-term or result from future treatments.

The emotional effect of dealing with permanent scars or disfigurement can also be a factor in the compensation available.

Pain and suffering damages, including emotional pain, can be a significant part of the compensation available in dog attack cases.

Discover more: Heart Attack

Human relationship damage can be a devastating consequence of a dog bite. Nearly all dog bites involve a complex mixture of human relationship bonds.

A dog bite victim frequently knows the owner of the dog, who may be a family member, relative, neighbor or friend. This can lead to a difficult situation, especially if the owner minimizes the seriousness of the injury or blames the victim for the attack.

Many dog owners defy leash and constraint laws after a bite, which can leave victims feeling trapped in their own homes. This was the case for a couple who had to move to a new residence due to the constant threat of the neighbor's dog.

The human relationship damage can be two-part: the first part occurs just after the attack when trust is shattered, and the second part occurs over a period of years as the victim tries to gain recourse through lawsuits or other means.

In some cases, the relationship damage can be even more severe, especially if the dog is owned by a family member. The bond between the dog and its owner can be so strong that it's difficult to distinguish between the two, leading to a situation where neither the dog nor its owner can be blamed.

Here are some examples of how human relationship damage can play out:

Dog bites can be a serious financial burden, not just because of medical expenses, but also because of lost wages and income. Many victims require hospitalization, surgery, and rehabilitation, leading to missed workdays and lost income.

A trip to the hospital can easily cost $20,000, and if surgery is required, the first night's stay alone can surpass this amount. This can put a significant strain on a victim's finances.

If you're bitten by a dog and have to lose time at work or are unable to return to your job because of lost functionality, you may recover damages for lost wages and income, as well as your loss of capacity to earn future income.

According to the article, if you're hospitalized due to a dog bite, you can expect to stay for 3 days, incurring additional costs. This can lead to a significant loss of income, especially if you're self-employed or have a variable income.

The total amount of compensation available for lost wages and income will vary depending on the facts of your case, but a Tennessee dog bite attorney can help you recover the damages you're entitled to.

Here are some examples of lost wages and income damages:

In Tennessee, dog bite laws can be confusing, but there are clear circumstances where victims can hold owners strictly liable. If you're bitten by a dog in a public place or a private place where you have permission, you may be able to hold the owner strictly liable without needing to prove negligence or fault.

The one-bite rule also applies in Tennessee, where owners can be held liable if they knew or should have known their dog would act aggressively. This usually happens after a first bite, putting the owner on notice that their dog could be a threat.

You may be able to recover various types of compensation for a dog attack in Tennessee, including medical expenses, lost income, general household out-of-pocket expenses, pain and suffering damages, and loss of personal enjoyment damages.

A significant number of dog bite victims require emergency medical attention every year, with one out of five becoming infected and many needing surgery and long-term rehabilitation.

Here are eight damages for which you may recover when you're bitten by a dog:

Punitive damages may also be available if the dog owner's behavior was particularly outrageous or egregious, such as failing to restrain a dog known to be aggressive or allowing a dog to roam free in public.

Over a 15-year period, dogs killed 568 Americans, with Pitbulls contributing to 67% of those fatalities, resulting in 380 deaths.

Pitbulls inflicted more injuries than other dog breeds, including Rottweilers. These injuries are often severe and require a higher number of surgical interventions, sometimes up to five times higher than those caused by other breeds.

Children are disproportionately affected by canine attacks, with 45% of injuries occurring among kids aged 6 to 12. Pitbulls were responsible for 53% of injuries to children in this age group when the attacking breed was known.

Pitbulls were more likely to bite children aged 6 to 12, with a 36.2% prevalence. They also inflicted more complex wounds, attacked more often when unprovoked, and left their properties more frequently to attack.

Data from Level 1 Trauma Centers shows that the probability of a bite resulting in a complex wound was 4.4 times higher with Pitbulls than with other breeds.

Additional reading: When You Lie down with Dogs?