Dog Bite Injuries

Dog-bite Injury Attorneys Monmouth Couty NJ

There are multiple effects of dog bites that range in severity, learn more with our Dog Bite Attorneys serving Red Bank, Long Branch and across Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex Counties

Personal Injury Lawyers for Victims Injured in Dog-bite related AccidentsWe’ve all heard of the dog whose bark is worse than his bite. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, and dog bites can adversely affect the life of human victims for months, years, or permanently. Even a small wound from a bite can affect one’s capacity to function normally until it is healed, from the ability to move about to the ability to work and provide for a family. More dangerous, dog bites usually happen to children, who are more fragile and likely to be severely wounded by the bite. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that around 4.7 million cases of dog bites are reported each year in the United States, and about 800,000 bites require medical care. A large percentage of the cases involve children between the ages of five and nine.

So what are the physical effects of a dog bite, and how can it impact your capacity to function normally?

Common Physical Effects of a Dog Bite

There are many injuries that can result from a dog bite, and as noted above, they vary in how severe they are – and how permanent the damage will be. Some common injuries due to dog bites are

  • Puncture wounds – According to the US Library of Medicine, a puncture wound is a deep vertical wound usually caused by animal teeth, nails, or other long, sharp objects. Though they do not bleed much and appear to scab, they are more prone to infection than other open wounds given the profundity of the insertion. As such, it is important to never cover an animal bite, as it could trap any bacteria inside. Instead, clean and treat the wound with antibiotics, and then let it breathe to release bacteria from the insertion point.
  • Scrapes and lacerations – The US Library of Medicine defines a laceration as a wound produced by the tearing of soft tissue at the surface of the body. This type of wound is often uneven and can trap bacteria. Like a puncture wound, it is important to clean and treat a laceration with antibiotics, and then let the wound breathe.
  • Broken bones – Dog bites can cause broken bones, which is a partial or full break or split to a bone, according to the National Institutes of Health.
  • Head injuries – Unfortunately, multiple types of head injuries can occur as a result of a dog bite, including a fractured skull, broken nose, fractured jawbone, and others.
  • Face injuries – Lacerations and punctures on the face are also common injuries sustained by dog bites, especially in the case of children who put their face too close to a dog, making it uncomfortable.
  • Neck injuries – The Journal of Craniomaxillofacial Trauma and Reconstruction, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, reported that while 68 percent of dog bites affected children under the age of five in the study, a startling 80 percent of severe dog bites in children involved the head and neck.
  • Common Physical Effects of a Dog BiteNerve damage – According to the Mayo Clinic, peripheral nerves link your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. These are the nerves most often damaged by a dog bite, as they are fragile and easily damaged, interrupting communication between the brain and the muscles and organs; injury to peripheral nerves is called peripheral neuropathy.
  • Rabies – A deadly virus once feared as the main threat from a dog bite, the cases of rabies have plummeted since vaccination in domesticated animals like dogs – and humans – has increased. Cases of rabies are much more likely due to bat or raccoon bites these days, yet the virus is still a menace to society almost certainly causes death once symptoms arise.

Emotional Effects

Scars (sometimes) disappear after a dog bite, but the emotional effects of the event can linger. Long-term fear around dogs, increased anxiety, insomnia, and hysteria have been reported following a dog attack; and in some cases, victims of dog bites have been treated for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

New Jersey law subjects dog owners to Strict Liability, a legal principle under which the owner of a dog who bites another in a public or private place – including the home of the dog owner – is liable for damages caused to the victim.

Contact our Ocean County NJ Dog Bite Lawyers to Discuss Your Case

If you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog, contact a member of our office today to discuss your rights. At Chamlin, Uliano & Walsh, our attorneys have extensive experience helping victims of dog attacks across Old Bridge, Perth Amboy, and across Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex Counties in recovering damages to their physical and emotional health after they have sustained a dog bite.

Our unique approach focuses on taking care of legal interchange with the liable dog owner so that our clients can focus on their own recovery, resting assured that medical expenses, psychological burden, and work missed are being recovered to the full extent of the law.

To speak with our firm today in a comprehensive and confidential case assessment regarding your experience of a dog attack, please do not hesitate to fill out our online contact form or by calling at 732-440-3950 for a free consultation.