If you are bitten or attacked by a dog, you could suffer surprisingly serious injuries. You may not experience symptoms of some of the most long-term injuries for days or longer after you were bitten. Here are common injuries you should watch for to protect your health and your right to compensation under Virginia’s dog bite laws.
Common Injuries That Dog Bite Victim’s Suffer
Because dogs have very sharp teeth, even one bite can cause severe injuries. If the attack goes on for longer, a victim can suffer catastrophic injuries—or death. Here are the most common injuries people suffer:
- Infections. Prompt medical treatment is crucial to prevent a serious infection from developing, which can sometimes be fatal. Rabies, Pasteurella (which is a blood infection), and pneumonia caused by complications are a few of the infections victims suffer.
- Broken bones. Dogs are incredibly strong and can cause broken and crushed bones in an attack. Broken bones in the face, arms, hands, legs, feet, and skull are not uncommon and can require multiple surgeries to repair.
- Brain injury. Victims can suffer a traumatic brain injury if their heads strike the pavement or another hard surface or their head is violently shaken in an attack. They can suffer devasting changes to their vision, mobility, reasoning, memory, judgement, and much more.
- Nerve damage. When the dog bite is deep, a dog bite victim can suffer serious nerve damage that can limit their mobility and cause them to suffer chronic pain—sometimes for the rest of their lives.
- Scarring. Scarring and disfigurement injuries are common in a dog attack, especially if the victim is a child. Unfortunately, these injuries often occur on the face where they are more visible and can lead to emotional trauma as well.
- Eye injuries. If the dog attacks a victim’s face and eyes, the person could suffer reduced or loss of vision. Because dogs often bite children on their face, this is, unfortunately, a common injury that children suffer.
Compensation You Can Recover in a Dog Bite Case
If you suffered injuries due to a dog bite or attack, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering from the dog’s owner and other liable parties. If you want to receive all that you deserve in your settlement, you need the help of an experienced premises liability lawyer. To learn about our track record of success helping dog bite victims and how we can assist you, call our Norfolk office or fill out our convenient online form to schedule your free consultation today.
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