Dog Bite Statistics

Contact our experienced attorneys if you've been bitten by a dog. Call 800-561-4887 for a free consultation.

Statistics are often a good way to spot and analyze trends. When it comes to dog attacks, these numbers help us look at how many dog attacks occur, how many people are injured, what dogs attack most often, who gets attacked, what age groups get attacked most and what causes these attacks.

We may still struggle to find answers to all questions. But numbers don't lie. They give us a realistic sense of a problem and point us toward potential solutions. Here are some of the most significant statistics when it comes to dog attacks in the United States:

• Dogs bite about 4.7 million Americans each year.
• Of the 4.7 million injured in dog attacks each year, about 800,000 will seek medical attention and roughly half of those are children.
• About 386,000 of these victims will need emergency medical treatment. This adds up to 1,008 dog bite victims each day.
• Approximately 3,000 U. S. Postal Service workers are bitten annually.
• Approximately every 40 seconds, someone in the U. S. seeks medical care because of a dog bite.
• Approximately 12 people die from dog bite incidents annually.
• Hospital expenses for dog bite-related emergency visits are an estimated $102.4 million.
• Dogs that are not neutered are more than 2.6 times more likely to bite than neutered dogs.
• Male dogs are 6.2 times more likely to bite than female dogs.
• Among purebreds, rottweilers were most commonly involved in fatal attacks. Pit bulls, German shepherds, husky types and malamutes were common in all fatal attacks.
• Among crossbreeds, wolf dog hybrids and mixed breeds were the most commonly involved in fatal attacks.
• Most dog bites occur in the afternoon and evening, peaking between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Dog bite reports increase between March and September, with a peak month of July.
• The majority of biting dogs (77 percent) belong to the victim's family or a friend.
• The majority of dog biting incidents or attacks (61 percent) occur at home or in a familiar place.
• In 2012, dog bites accounted for about one third of all homeowners insurance liability claimswith a total cost of $489 million.
• From about 2006 to 2014 pit bulls and rottweilers accounted for over 70% of attacks resulting in death. Keep in mind, larger breeds do more damage.

Dog Bite Statistics in Children:

• About 60 percent of all dog bite victims are children.
• Dog bite injury rates are highest for children ages 5 to 9, especially boys.
• About half of all dog bite victims are children under the age of 14.
• The median age of child patients who are bitten is 15.
• Children who are seen in emergency rooms for dog bites are more likely than adults to have been bitten in the face, neck and head.
• 77 percent of dog bite injuries to children under 10 tend to be facial.
• Severe injuries occur almost only in children under the age of 10.
• When a child under 4 is a victim, the family dog tends to be the attacker 47 percent of the time. About 90 percent of the time, the attack happens in the home.
• Dog bites rank second among other common causes of emergency room incidents. There are approximately 333,687 children a year who visit the emergency room for a dog bite.

Studies show that facial injuries are most common in dog bite cases:

• Dog bites result in about 44,000 facial injuries requiring a hospital visit. These injuries account for 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent of all emergency room visits.
• The lips, nose and cheeks are the areas of the face are most often damaged or injured in a dog bite to the face.
• About 77 percent of all injuries resulting from dog bites are to the face. Mail carriers were the only exception to this with 97 percent of dog bite injuries occurring in the lower extremities.

Contacting a Dog Bite Attorney

California has strict dog bite laws. If you have been injured by a dog bite or dog attack, please contact the experienced California dog bite attorneys at Bisnar Chase. We offer free consultations to answer your questions and determine if you have a case. We will work diligently to help you seek and obtain compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost income, hospitalization, cost of cosmetic surgery and psychological therapy, pain and suffering and emotional distress. We have worked with many dog bite victims and understand the trauma attached. Our experienced and caring legal team is here to help.