Dog Bite / Animal Attack

Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington D.C. Dog Bite And Animal Attack Lawyers

Our attorneys help victims of dog and other animal attacks in Maryland, Washington DC and Northern Virginia.

Dog Attacks

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States seeks medical attention for a dog bite. There are approximately 800,000 bites per year in the United States. Out of that number, 1 of every 6 is serious enough to require medical attention sending nearly 368,000 victims to hospital emergency departments each year (1,008 per day). Roughly 1.5% of all hospital emergency room visits are due to dog or animal attacks.

Number of Dog Attacks on the Rise

Dog bites are becoming more common because of the increase in dog ownership and interaction between people and dogs. Many owners are ignorant of proper care and training of dogs. Further, there are social trends towards training and keeping dangerous animals by inexperienced owners and using aggressive dogs for self- protection or as status symbols.

The vast majority of bites are by pet dogs and happen when people are engaged in regular activities, in appropriate places with a dog. The majority of bites (61%) occur close to dog's home or the home of the victim. Typically (77%) injuries are by friendly dogs known to the victim. It is impossible to predict what might provoke a friendly dog to bite. They may be in pain, be panic stricken, feel threatened, or lash out due to any number of factors. Children aged 5 or younger are more likely to provoke animals. Dog should never be left unattended with small children, and puppies are also more likely to injure than an adult dog.

Breeds Involved

Any dog can and will bite in certain circumstances. The tendency for dogs to bite is the product of many factors. Some breeds have a genetic predisposition towards aggressiveness. There is less of a tendency to bite with early introduction to people, training, quality of care and supervision. Factors that may increase the tendency to bite include mistreatment, behavior of the victim, and others.

A study ("The Clifton Study") showed that Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, and of attacks involving these breeds, 58% of were upon children, 18% resulted in deaths and 68% in maiming. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question.

Types of injuries and damage(s)

Fatalities. Statistics for the USA show that the average number of fatal dog attacks was 17 in the 1980s, 20 in the 1990s, and is now around 35-40 a year in this decade.

Dog bites can inflict cuts and lacerations, abrasions, crush wounds, punctures and fractured bones. These wounds can often result in disfiguring scars. The face is the most frequent target (77% of all injures) resulting in approximately 44,000 facial injuries each year. The central target area for the face includes the lips, nose, and cheeks. Male victims slightly outnumber females. Mail carriers are an exception where 97% of attacks involve the lower extremities. Severely injured patients stay an average of 4.2 days in the hospital. Unfortunately, children comprise 60%-plus of the dog bite victims. Severe injuries occur almost exclusively in children less than 10 years of age.

Damages in such a case can include:

• Medical bills
• Future medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional damages
• Lost wages
• Plastic surgery
• Psychological counseling
• Scars and disfigurement
• Nerve Damage
• Infection of Wound Site

The Financial Impact of Dog Bites

Dog bite claims in 2005 accounted for about 15 percent of liability claims dollars paid under homeowners insurance policies. Researchers from the CDC estimated that the direct medical costs of dog bites per year equal $164.9 million in the USA.

Situations to Avoid; Do Not:

• Hold your face close to a dog
• Allow dogs to roam unleashed
• Approach a strange dog
• Tease a dog
• Startle a dog
• Disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies
• Leave a small child and dog alone
• Ignore the warning signals of aggressive behavior
  • A Threatened Dog Often Bites
  • Never run from or scream at a dog.
  • Do not challenge the dog by staring it right in the eye.
  • Be as still as possible if approached by an unfamiliar dog.
  • If a dog knocks you over, roll into a ball and stay still

We offer FREE INITIAL CONSULTATIONS in personal injury, insurance and construction cases.

If you need the help of an experienced employment discrimination lawyer, personal injury or insurance attorney in Maryland, Washington DC or Northern Virginia, please contact the Law Offices of Stuart L. Plotnick, LLC in Rockville, Maryland