Hopefully you, your family and friends will never be required to deal with a dog bite. In the UK most dogs are trained to an acceptable level in which they would not bite or attack unless they felt threatened. There are also laws in place to ensure breeds which are aggressive by nature are not kept as pets (making it a criminal offence to own a banned breed).
Despite laws and prevention methods in place, however, there are occasions when a poorly trained dog could attempt and succeed in biting; carrying the potential to cause some serious harm (especially to young children). This was the case recently when a young girl Birmingham suffered horrific injuries at the hands of a local dog.
Dangers to children
Dog bites are dangerous enough to a full grown human. Dogs with powerful jaws and size on their side can cause considerable harm (as many police training videos will show). Even smaller dogs kept at home can have the power to puncture skin and cause excessive scarring.
One young girl in Birmingham, Tamia, aged 8, suffered a horrific attack by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier recently and as a result needed 3 hours of surgery to treat puncture wounds, nerve damage and lacerations to her skin. She will recover fully but has been told she will most likely need a skin graft.
The case highlights the potential damage a single dog can cause, and especially to children who are most vulnerable due to not having as hard a bone structure or potentially having the strength to resist the dog.
What if you are bitten?
If a dog has bitten you or somebody you know, what to do would normally depend on the severity and whether the dog is known to you. It is advised that when an unknown dog bites you, to seek medical attention and get tested for any possible infections or disease the dog may have been carrying.
Smaller wounds can be treated with alcoholic rubs to sterilise the affected area and covered with antiseptic and a plaster or bandage. Larger wounds however could leave you needing more urgent medical attention. If this is the case we would recommend trying to cover the wounds and call for an ambulance or head to A&E as soon as possible.
Speaking from a legal perspective, all dogs owned in this country should be trained to a reasonable standard that they will not attack unprovoked. If you have been bitten despite not causing the dog any distress, then that dog’s owner has been negligent in their duty as an owner.
Making a claim
Caring for the aftermath of a dog bite, be that for an adult or a child, could take weeks or months and (as evidenced) could require extensive aftercare including skin graft. This can affect physical appearance for life, the ability to earn while you are away from work and even have deep lying psychological effects when encountering other dogs in the future. None of these are dilemmas anybody should have to face.
If you or anybody you know has had the unfortunate situation forced upon them, then you are in a position to seek legal help from which you can be assured of having proper aftercare available. Scott Rees & Co have helped many previous clients recover from dog bites, including referring them to specialists to help overcome their physical and emotional scars left by the incident.
If you would like access to our network of specialists and to recoup your losses from the incident, call Scott Rees & Co on 01695 722 222 to speak to one of our advisers. Alternatively you can get in touch via our online form here.
As a specialist in personal injuries, we have a long history of helping people make claims. We operate on a no win no fee service which allows you to claim safe in the knowledge that should your claim be unsuccessful, you won’t have to pay a penny. If you could benefit from legal assistance to help deal with your injuries, call Scott Rees & Co today and see what we can do for you.