Injuries and Infections - Caused by Dog Bites

If you've been seriously injured by a dog bite please call our office to schedule a free consultation. We've represented California dog bite victims for over 40 years. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Call 800-561-4887.

Many dog's bite but people often think it's only large breed dogs that can be dangerous. Large and small dogs can cause serious damage to skin, bone or muscle. A dog bite can result in physical and emotional injuries in children as well as adults.

Dog bites often result in painful physical injuries that can be painful and costly to treat. At the same time, victims suffer emotional repercussions such as paranoia, a lifelong fear of dogs and even post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Being attacked by a dog can have lasting effects on you emotionally as well as physical scars.

The following are just some examples of types of injuries that can occur from a dog bite:

• Abrasions: This refers to superficial damage to the skin. Mild abrasions, also known as grazes, do not scar, but deep abrasions may lead to scarring. The upper layers of the skin are damaged or completely removed in the injury, causing slight bleeding, if any.
• Lacerations: An irregular wound which is caused by a blunt impact to soft tissue overlying hard tissue or the tearing of skin and tissues.
• Puncture Wounds: These occur when a dog's teeth or claws dig into the victim's skin completely puncturing it.
• Incisions or Incised Wounds: Caused by clean, sharp-edged objects (claws or teeth). These types of injuries are typically classified as cuts, rather than actual wounds.
• Tissue Loss: Often, cuts and wounds caused by dog bites can lead to the loss of tissue, causing deformity to the injured area.
• Avulsion: Defined as the tearing away or separation of a piece of an entire structure. This can include small pieces of the flesh to be torn away from the body or complete body parts being separated from the body.
• Crush Injuries: Crush injuries occur when a body part is subjected to high degrees of force or pressure. Crush injuries can cause bleeding, bruising, compartment syndrome, fractures and lacerations.
• Fractured Bones: Cracks or breaks in the bones caused by high force impact or stress. Types of fractures include:
  • Complete fracture: A fracture in which bone fragments separate completely.
  • Incomplete fracture: A fracture in which the bone fragments are still partially joined.
  • Linear fracture: A fracture that is parallel to the bone's long axis.
  • Transverse fracture: A fracture that is at a right angle to the bone's long axis.
  • Oblique fracture: A fracture that is diagonal to a bone's long axis.
  • Compression fracture: A fracture that usually occurs in the vertebrae.
  • Spiral fracture: A fracture where at least one part of the bone has been twisted.
  • Comminuted fracture: A fracture, which results in several fragments.
  • Compacted fracture: A fracture that occurs when bone fragments are driven into each other.
  • Open fracture: A fracture that occurs when the bone is in contact with air either by piercing the skin or by severe tissue injury.
• Sprain and strains: Sprains are injuries, which occur to ligaments and are caused by the sudden over-stretching of the ligament. Usually the ligament is only stretched, but is also common for them to completely tear.
• Scars: Every wound will result in a scar, ranging in severity depending on the type of wound. Some will fade over time, while others will require cosmetic surgery to repair. Some scars can become permanent.
• Infections: Infections to untreated dog bites and wounds are common due to the amount of bacteria carried by dogs. Dogs can also carry many diseases and organisms that carry diseases, all of which can be passed on to the victim during an attack. It is extremely important to wash and treat all wounds immediately to avoid infection.

Seeking Legal Information on Dog Bite Injuries

If you have suffered injuries due to a dog bite or dog attack, please get immediate medical attention, treatment and care. Contact the experienced California dog bite attorneys at Bisnar Chase to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights. As a victim of a dog attack, you have the right to hold dog owners financially responsible for their negligence.

A dog bite case can be very complex and requires the skills of an attorney who has spent many years in local courts fighting dog attack cases. Our attorneys are trial lawyers with years of expertise in catastrophic and serious injury cases. Call today for a free legal consultation about your dog bite case.