More than 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs annually and almost 800,000 bites per year require medical attention. Worse, in more than half the cases the victim is a child. Many of cases involve an unprovoked attack, such as someone walking or riding a bike down the street or an animal wanders into your yard.
Dog bites cause more than $1 billion of damage each year. Injuries can be an extremely painful and traumatic, and can leave permanent physical or emotional damage. Scars that can last a lifetime. In almost every case, the owner of the animal is liable for all damage caused by their pets, including medical bills, scars, pain, suffering and the shock and fear caused by the attack.
If you are bitten by a dog, you should:
- Seek medical attention
- Immediately report your accident to the police and request a copy of the police accident report
- If possible, get the name and contact information of the dog owner
- Try to get the name and contact information of any people who witnessed your accident.