St. Louis Dog Bite Injury Lawyers
Dog Bites - Blunt Cervical Vascular Injuries
Many of the blood vessels in your neck are close to the skin and are thus, very vulnerable to injury during a dog attack. If a dog bite's the neck, particularly one of a small child, the teeth may puncture the large blood vessels in the neck. Alternatively, the compressive forces of a large dog's jaw during a bite may also be strong enough to rupture the blood vessels resulting in a massive volume of blood loss over a short period of time.
Symptoms and Treatment
The symptoms of a vascular injury in the neck are varied but almost always a person will complain of pain, difficulty talking and/or swallowing, and bruising/swelling of the neck. Other possible symptoms include:
- Stroke or transient ischemic attack symptoms – slurred speech, sudden loss of vision or inability to speak, sudden onset of weakness on one side of the body
- Shock – fast heartbeat, rapid breathing, pale color, lightheadedness
Just as the symptoms are varied, so is the treatment. If a blood vessel is suspected to have ruptured during a dog bite, emergent surgery will be needed to repair any damage and stop the bleeding. For someone with symptoms of a stroke, a blood thinner, such as Heparin, will most likely be given to prevent anymore blood clot formation. However, this is not without possible complication – anytime a blood thinner is given there is the potential for bleeding. After a stroke, rehabilitation is a common component of therapy to recover from any neurologic symptoms.
Most importantly, with both situations, you will be closely monitored for a given time period after you are stable to watch for any signs of other injury.
Prognosis
Symptoms of a transient ischemic attack often have complete resolution. Those of a stroke usually require rehabilitation with the possibility of some residual functional impairment.
With surgical repair of vessels after a dog bite, a complete recovery is expected. However, surgical repair of a ruptured vessel places a person at a higher risk of forming a blood clot in the future at that location. As a result, your doctor may wish to put you on a blood thinner at some point to help lower that risk.
Dependable Guidance Through the Legal Process
The Missouri dog bite law firm of Page Law is vigilant in providing effective legal counsel and representation to those seriously injured by a dog attack. Our dog attack attorneys understand how important it is for victims to obtain compensation for hospital visits, surgery, physical therapy, lost wages, scar revision, and other damages. To find out how we can assist you with your case, call us today at (314) 322-8515.
