Take These Steps After A New Haven Dog Bite Injury Occurs

When you’re a dog lover there is nothing more exciting than coming across a new dog that you have never met before. Your first inclination may be to approach the dog and introduce yourself. Who doesn’t love meeting a new dog after all. Visiting with a new dog can be fun, but there are also some risks associated with it. If you don’t approach carefully you may wind up the victim of a New Haven dog bite accident. Even if you are careful when approaching the animal, dogs can be unpredictable and you may wind up injured as a result of the interaction.

It’s not something most of us like to think about because we want to assume that all dogs will be interested in meeting new humans, but that is not always the case. This is especially something that you need to be on the lookout for if you are approaching an animal that is not accompanied by an owner and you need to be especially careful if you are approaching an animal that is not leashed. If the dog you’re approaching is not leashed you should approach slowly and with caution.

Even after you take all of the precautions to avoid startling the dog and approaching it in a safe and careful way, there may become a point where the dog gets agitated by meeting a new and strange human. If you begin to see signs of agitation such as growling, drooling or panting you should slowly back away from the dog and give it the space it needs to settle down. It is a good idea to not approach the dog again.

You may do all of the right things but still be in a situation where the dog bites you and you become injured as a result of your interaction with the animal. If this occurs you will want to take some of the following steps that are critical to you making sure you are healthy after the dog bite and also that you are compensated for your injury by the dog’s owner.

Step #1: Seek medical attention. Before you even think about what the dog bite might mean for your future you need to think about what the injury that occurred from the dog bite means in the present and how it might linger without proper medical attention. As soon as you are able to get to a medical provider you should do this. Even if the bite looks minor you will want to seek medical attention. A dog’s mouth carries a lot of bacteria that could lead to some serious infections, especially if the skin is broken by the bite. When you’re seeking medical attention make sure you keep track of your medical expenses so you can be compensated for them in the event that you seek damages.

Step #2: Gather evidence. If you’re able to when the incident occurs you should collect evidence of what happened. You should take photos of the dog and the area around the scene. You should speak with any witnesses that saw what happened and ask them to go on record with a statement. Make sure you collect their information so you can reach out to them for follow-up in the event that you need more information from them. Other evidence may include security camera footage from around the area where the bite occurred.

Step #3: Report the incident to the police. Just like if you are involved in a car accident, a police report in this situation may be required, especially if you decide to file a lawsuit against the dog owner. A police report at the time of the incident can be a valuable piece of evidence that documents exactly what happened in the moment from an authoritative source.

When a New Haven dog bite accident occurs you may be startled and not want to drag it out, but the truth is that the medical situation that may arise as the result of the incident may linger over time and if that is the case you may have no choice but to be dealing with this injury for quite some time. If this is the case, you should make sure that you’ve covered all your bases so you can take good care of yourself and your future self as well.

You may need to speak with an experienced attorney if something like this happens to you. If this is the case you may contact our office and one of our attorneys, who have experience with these types of situations, will reach out to you and help you protect your long-term interests.