What To Do If You Are Bitten

If you or someone nearby has been bitten by a dog, stay calm. Once the dog and the victim have been separated, the first thing to do is seek medical treatment for serious injuries. Even if you don't think the wounds require an emergency room visit, the American Academy of Family Physicians suggests that you seek medical treatment for a dog bite in the following situations:

The bite is to your hand, head or foot.
The bite is very deep or gaping, the bleeding doesn't stop in 15 minutes or it looks like a bone is broken.
The bite looks infected.
Your last tetanus shot was more than five years ago.
You have a chronic health condition that might affect your ability to fight infection, such as diabetes, lung or liver disease, cancer or AIDS.

The next thing to do is try your best to identify the dog. If it was a stray, call the local animal control authorities immediately to see if they can find it and check it for rabies. Most domestic animals in America don't have rabies, but if this one does, you should start rabies shots as soon as possible. Authorities may also want to pick up a loose dog deemed dangerously likely to attack, in order to avoid further attacks, identify any owner and if necessary, euthanize the dog. If the dog has an owner, ask that owner for its vaccination record. The dog may have to be quarantined to double-check it for rabies.

In the days following the attack, you or someone you trust should document as much of the incident as possible. Write down the names of any witnesses to the attack; you may have to return to the scene and ask neighbors and regular passers-by whether they saw what happened. Take photographs of your wounds and the clothes you wore during the attack. Keep copies of all of the documents related to the incident, including medical bills, the dog's licensing information and any correspondence between you and the dog's owner. Write down conversations or comments you remember from the scene while they're still fresh in your mind.

The owner of the dog may be insured against dog bite lawsuits; it's likely that he or she at least has homeowner's or renter's insurance that covers dog bites. If that's the case, you may hear from the insurance company. Write down the name of the company, the claim number, the contact information of the person who called and the amount of coverage available to pay medical expenses. If you are considering filing a personal injury lawsuit related to the dog attack, don't accept a settlement or even discuss money with the insurance company. Just take down their contact information and bring it, along with the other facts related to the case, to a qualified dog bite attorney as quickly as possible.

Depending on the circumstances, you may have a limited amount of time to file a dog attack lawsuit in Missouri before the statute of limitations expires. The experienced attorneys at PageCagle can help you decide whether to pursue your case and help you get the best possible outcome.

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