The Six Levels Of New Haven Dog Bites

When you’re interacting with a dog, whether or a stranger or your own pet, it is important to understand the animal’s tendencies and what certain actions can mean.  Often a dog will show his stress level by the way he moves or looks at you, but also in making you aware of his stress level by nipping at you or worse.  These types of interactions can lead to a New Haven dog bite injury and leave you anywhere from scared to dead or somewhere in between.

There is a small silver lining according to the National Safety Council and that being killed by a dog is very rare, in fact the odds of it happening to you are 1 in 112,400.  These odds are extremely low, but they are not nothing, so it is important to understand the different levels of dog bites and how they can be a signal to you that a situation with a dog is escalating and that you should remove yourself immediately from it.

Let’s review the levels of dog bites so that when you are confronted with this type of interaction you can quickly assess the situation and keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

Level #1: This should be considered a warning shot from a dog that is the dog’s way of saying to the human, back off, I am not going to hurt you, but you need to get away from this situation.  This is the type of dog bite where no skin contact is made, but the dog nips the air around you to give you a warning to stay away.

Level #2: When a dog does actually make contact with you and puts his teeth on your body, this is level two.  This level of bite does not break skin, but it can leave red marks or bruises that you are having to deal with once the altercation is over.

Level #3: This is the first level where the dog bite can get really serious.  When the dog bites your body and breaks skin it can lead to blood and serious bodily injury.  A dog bite of this kind should be medically treated.

Level #4: When a dog latches on to your body and begins to move his head back and forth in an attempt to escalate the situation you have reached level #4.  This is a dangerous escalation of the dog bite and can lead to nerve damage and serious injury.  At this level the dog will also bite through your skin and deeper than his canines.

Level #5: One of the most severe types of dog bites is one where the dog bites you hard, breaks skin, and goes deep into your tissue.  Once that happens this next level kicks in where the dog does this to you on multiple parts of your body leaving wounds all over you.

Level #6: This is the most serious level and where dogs are quite literally past the point of no return.  When a dog gets so aggressive that it kills a human being it can be a gruesome scene and not one that anyone should ever suffer through.

When you are presented with a situation where you are interacting with a stranger dog and the dog starts to become aggressive you should immediately remove yourself from the situation so you do not become the victim of a New Haven dog bite injury.  If you do not remove yourself immediately from the situation it may escalate quickly and you could find yourself experiencing a serious injury that could, in very rare cases, lead to death.

Our experienced attorneys have worked on cases of all kinds that involve dog bites and they understand the nuances of them.  Contact our office if you’ve been bitten and one of our attorneys will review your case and work with you to protect your long-term interests.