Positive interactions with dogs can offer some health benefits. Pets can help people manage their stress and can inspire them to regularly exercise. Unfortunately, not all interactions between humans and dogs are positive ones.
In some cases, dogs become aggressive toward people and may cause serious injuries when they attack. Dogs of all breeds can potentially become aggressive toward humans with serious consequences. The bites themselves can cause major damage to the human body. People suffer traumatic injuries and blood loss. They may also experience a number of secondary medical consequences because of a dog bite attack.
Major infections
Dogs are carnivorous animals, which means they have teeth intended to grip and tear. The long, tapered teeth of a canine can rip tissue. They can also push dangerous bacteria far down into a wound. Keeping deep, tapered punctured wounds clean can be quite difficult. People frequently develop significant infections after dog bite incidents. This is a particularly serious concern for people who do not seek out professional medical care after the initial bite. If such infections become systemic, the injured person may have a difficult time fully recovering.
Disfiguring and painful scars
The bite wounds that dogs cause can range in size based on the size of the animal and the age of the person. Many people suffer bites on their hands. Bites to the face and neck are also somewhat common. Significant scarring on the hands can sometimes affect people’s motor function. They may find it difficult to use their hands as freely as they did prior to their injury. Even if scars don’t cause immediate functional challenges, they could cause social and psychological issues if they are in visible locations.
Psychological trauma
Particularly in scenarios where people experience an attack by a large or aggressive dog or where the victim is young, significant psychological trauma may result from a dog bite incident. Victims may develop a fear of all canines or of certain environments, such as public parks. They may require assistance addressing their trauma so that they can heal. The cost of undergoing care for significant infections, problematic scarring or psychological trauma can be immense. Pursuing compensation after a dog bite incident may be the only way for people to cover the treatment costs the incident generates.
The owner of a dog may be liable for the damage they’ve caused, and their homeowners insurance policy might help reimburse an injured person. Those who look at their options for compensation can work to receive the care they need to more fully heal after a dog attack.