February 18, 2023
Dog Bite Lawyer
When a dog attacks, it can leave lasting impacts on the person. It may not have only been a terrifying experience, but a painful one, in which puncture wounds and scrapes broke through the skin, causing bacteria to enter the system. The issue with the dog bite may not just be the wound itself, but infection that can develop in the days thereafter. If a dog bite pierces through the barrier of a person’s skin, bacteria that exists in the dog’s mouth can enter the body, potentially causing an infection. It’s important to wash the wound thoroughly so that bacteria can be rinsed from the area. If bacteria remains in the body, it can cause sepsis, tetanus, rabies, or other conditions. As a dog bite lawyer explains, if a dog owner was being irresponsible and failed to protect you from being attacked, they could be liable for your injury care.
If you are not sure if a dog bite is infected, some symptoms include pain that lasts longer than a full day, redness and swelling around the wound, fluid draining from the wound, a warm feeling around the site, and difficulty moving the affected part of the body. Signs that an infection may have spread to different parts of the body include shaking, fever, and night sweats. To help prevent infection from a canine bite, people must thoroughly wash the wound as soon as they can. Those who have minor wounds can use warm water and soap, run the area under lukewarm water to flush out bacteria, apply an antibiotic cream, and then wrap it with a clean bandage. Those who are dealing with deeper wounds should press a clean, dry cloth firmly against the area to halt the bleeding. If a person feels faint or the bleeding is uncontrollable, call 911 for emergency assistance.
You may be able to do at home treatments to prevent the dog bite from being infected. But if you end up needing the dog owner to pay for your medical bills and don’t have any documentation that proves it, it’s going to be harder to receive repayment. It’s advised that people who sustain a dog bite visit their doctor so that they not only receive care but are also beginning a paper trail that can then be used to prove their injuries.
Unfortunately, not all dog owners exhibit a duty of care to the people they know and the general public. They may not take any precautions to prevent their dog from being aggressive and biting someone. If that is the case, then they should be liable for how a person has suffered, including paying for medical attention and other financial loss. After a dog bite incident, the person may choose to speak with a lawyer, such as a team member at Wandres Law, P.C., particularly if the dog owner is being resistant in providing compensation. In this way, a lawyer can ensure that the person attacked gets the medical attention they need and financial recovery so that no expenses related to the injury comes out of their pocket.