Seek Medical And Legal Support After A Dog Bite
Although everyday Americans tend to have a great deal of affection for dogs, not every animal is safe to run free or pet. Dog bites and attacks remain a considerable health and safety danger, particularly to our valued elders and small children.
While many four-legged friends may be adoring and affectionate, sometimes unexpected things can trigger them into out-of-the-ordinary aggressive behavior. If you have been bitten by a dog, it’s important to take immediate healthcare steps and then contact a personal injury lawyer. Even a seemingly minor dog bite can turn into a significant health and financial problem.
Seek Immediate Dog Bite Treatment
It’s important to understand that one of the primary concerns related to a dog bite is infection. Immediate cleaning, disinfecting and bandaging of the wound by a healthcare professional ranks among the best preventative measures for a dog bite victim. If you expect to be delayed in getting to a clinic, hospital or doctor, the following steps are widely recommended in the short term.
- Put pressure on the wound to slow or stop the bleeding.
- Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and warm water.
- Apply a pharmacy-grade antibiotic cream or ointment.
- Cover with a clean antiseptic cloth.
- Wrap the dog bite in a sterile cloth.
- Seek professional help.
If you have been bitten by a dog, it’s imperative that you see a doctor within eight hours. A physician may recommend and prescribe a course of antibiotics, insist on stitches or other procedures to minimize the impact of the dog bite. In some cases, a tetanus vaccine or booster shot may be given.
Over the course of the first few days, dog bite victims should monitor the wound closely for signs of infection. Your doctor or a health care professional can provide information about warning signs. But after the wound has been treated and your health is no longer at risk, there are likely to be financial ramifications to the incident.
Why Contact A Personal Injury Lawyer After A Dog Bite?
It’s no secret that medical costs have become inordinately expensive. In all likelihood, you will have incurred out-of-pocket expenses. These may include visits to urgent care facilities, clinics and time with your primary care physician among others.
Beyond visits, prescriptions will need to be filled and you may lose time from work, depending on the severity of the injury. In many traumatic dog bite attacks, victims suffer emotional trauma that includes nightmares, fear of pets and other types of anxiety.
Seeking therapy will cost money and many health plans cover only a portion or none at all. At the end of the day, a dog bite subjects good people to a variety of financial setbacks and may leave permanent scarring.
It would be fundamentally unfair for you or a loved one to suffer physical, emotional and financial trauma because a pet owner was negligent in securing their dog. That’s why you deserve full, fair compensation. Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer after a dog bite has been properly treated. The Jackson Law Firm, based out of Dublin, Georgia is here to help you with your personal injury case! Call today at 478-353-4444
