The Immediate Health And Legal Steps You Need To Take After Being Bitten By A Dog
If you got bitten by a dog, then you can tell that it could be such a frightening experience, and the aftereffect could go from being minute to a life-threatening situation. A dog’s bite can occur, either by the front teeth grabbing and compressing the tissue in your body part or its smaller teeth tearing your skin.
It is vital to understand the correct steps to take in the seconds, minutes, and hours after a dog bite will not only benefit your health but can also help any legal case that might come from the attack. The following are the health and legal steps to take after getting bitten by a dog.
Seek Medical Help
This is the most crucial step to take after getting bitten by a dog before consulting a legal expert. Although, depending on the severity of the dog bite, you should contact 911 straight or have someone drive you to the emergency care unit.
What will your doctor do? Your doctor will want to know the type of dog that bit you and how it happened. The medical treatment will involve your doctor cleaning the wounds, applying antibiotics ointment, and prescribing antibiotics.
They may also give you a tetanus injection if your last tetanus shot is not up to date to prevent further infections. Depending on how severe the wound is, your doctor may recommend stitching. Seek medical help after getting bitten by a dog because the risk of an infection from a dog bite is too risky to ignore.
File A Dog Bite Report
After you have gotten treated for the dog’s bite, even if the injury is not severe, immediately file a report with the law enforcement authority. This legally documents your case and may be of great help in case someone else gets bitten or attacked by the same dog. Without proper documentation, authorities cannot diligently enforce canine laws, and you can’t file for personal injury claims.
Consult An Attorney
The legal issues concerning dog bite can be pretty challenging to navigate and get through. That’s why the services of a legal expert will be required to help with the claims for your injury. As your representative, the attorney will have your best interest in mind and work for hand in hand with you so that you receive maximum compensation for your injuries and pains.
When you hire an experienced attorney, there is a possibility of you getting 2-3 times of your compensation than unrepresented victims.
Gather More Information
Please find out more about the dog to know its owner. You can get this by obtaining the dog’s license information and any other records regarding its previous history. You would be able to get answers to different questions that you may need to know.
Has the dog bitten or attacked another person or animal before your own experience? Has the dog been legally tagged “potentially dangerous,” or high risk by the authorities? This is information that you might eventually need. Also, find out if the dog that bit you has been vaccinated or not, follow up with the dog’s veterinarian to ensure the dog’s vaccination is up to date.
We also advise that you take photographs of your injuries; the doctor or nurse will guide you on the proper way to go about it. You should as well take photos of torn bloody clothing and the location of the attack. Find out why it happened, especially if your dog has bitten you. Try to figure out why it happened. Discipline the dog immediately and practice the “no touch, no talk, no eye contact rule.” You will find answers because sometimes, your dog doesn’t just become overly aggressive.
Get Insurance Information From The Owner
The majority of homeowner’s insurance takes care of the cost of medical treatment and other losses that result from a dog bite. If you decide to seek medical compensation for the dog bite, make sure you research to know if the injury sustained is eligible for compensation before filing your claim.
When the dog owner’s insurance company calls you to discuss settlement, you mustn’t sign any papers or issue a statement to them without the help of your attorney. Insurance companies are always trying to protect their interest and avoid paying you what you deserve after an accident, so you must tread with caution.
The steps mentioned above need to be taken right away to reduce the risk of infections and assist you in case you decide to seek medical compensations for your injuries.
