St. Louis Dog Bite Lawyers
Eye Injury During A Dog Attack
Injury to the eye may be a devastating consequence of a dog attack. When a dog attacks a human, it is like any animal attacking a prey – they want to bring the person to the ground to gain the upper hand. Once down, the dog will often attack the face and neck. During the attack, a sharp claw or a bite to the face can result in rupture of the eye. Less severe injury from a stray claw may occur as well, resulting in a scratched cornea (the surface of the eye).
Symptoms and Treatment
With a ruptured eye, the symptoms are dramatic. The eye will be very bloody and may appear to sink into the face some. In addition, the individual will not be able to see at all out of the injured eye. It will be very painful and the likelihood of their being damage to the eyelid (torn) is high. If the cornea has been scratched, you may notice the eye feeling irritated and it may appear red or bloodshot to others.
Treatment will include pain medication such as morphine and surgery will be needed almost immediately. With a ruptured eye, it typically cannot be saved and the eye will have to be removed. In this case, a glass eye may be placed in the eye socket for cosmetic appearances. If the eye can be repaired, the remaining vision in that eye will likely be poor. During surgery, any associated injuries to the eyelid or the bony structure of the eye socket will be repaired. If you were fortunate enough to have only sustained a scratched cornea, treatment includes rinsing the eye for 30 minutes to an hour with saline followed by routine eye drops for the next couple weeks as it heals.
Prognosis
Eye injury can be a very devastating and life-altering injury. For those with a scratched cornea, the eye will heal completely over the course of a couple weeks. Those who lost an eye will be blind in one eye for the remainder of their life. However, even if the eye was able to be saved, the individual may be partially or completely blind out of that eye.
Delivering Expert Legal Assistance
At Page Law, our St. Louis dog bite injury attorneys have the legal experience and skills to help dog attack victims receive compensation for their injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered an eye injury in an animal attack, our attorneys are here to help. Call (314) 322-8515 today to learn more about how we can protect your rights.
