Every year, dog bites occur and sometimes the injury is short lived while other times a dog bite can be so severe a person dies from it.
When it comes to a dog bite case, there are a few questions that are asked such as: Was the person trespassing when the dog bit them? Or was the dog roaming free when it bit their victim?
Each scenario will provide different results in what will happen in a case. First of all, if a person was trespassing, then the injured party should not expect a settlement. However, if the injured party was merely walking by and a dog chases them down and bites them then that will ensure a settlement.
Ten years ago a survey showed that 4.7 million people yearly are bitten by dogs and a 1,000 people daily are treated in emergency rooms. In 2007 alone, there were 33 deaths associated to dog bites and seven of those were residents of Texas.
In the United States, there are 74.8 million dogs who are accounted for in homes and more than that who roam the streets or are in a pound. Every year, mailmen are bitten and 2,851 are reported on an annual scale.
The statistics are harsh and many people are unaware of different safety steps to take when it comes a stray dog who is growling and snarling at them. However, two key things to remember is one, never run and two, if you are attacked use your fist and punch the dog scare in the nose. This will give you time to get away. Dogs usually try to attack the face and neck, therefore if you are ever attacked cover your neck and face from the dog as much as possible.
Most commonly, the two dogs that usually bite are Rottweiler’s and Pit Bulls and they attack children the most. This has been seen mainly because children like to taunt dogs while they are in their fences; therefore once the dog is no longer confined it attacks the child. This is not always the case however.
There are leash laws in many communities; this means that a dog must be on a leash at all times when out confined to a house. There is another law which many states follow that is called the “one free bite” rule. This means that if a person had been bitten and it is the dog’s first offense then the owner is not liable unless the dog had committed another offense to prove their viciousness.
If you have found yourself the victim of a dog bite and you have been injured then you should contact a lawyer to find you what can be done. Most of the time, dog bites are just a caution that dogs show us to prove we are getting to close to them, other times it is a sign that the dog has “snapped” and once they have bitten someone they are most likely to do it again.
Authorities should always be notified when it comes to dog bite, it doesn’t matter how small or big the bite is, even if the owner is willing to pay for medical bills and such. This will help to save a person who might be bitten later in the future by the same dog.
