Three Steps To Take If You Experience A New Haven Dog Bite Injury

When you are interacting with a dog, whether you know the dog or not, there is a chance that your interaction may result in a New Haven dog bite injury.  It may seem hard to believe but dog bites remain one of the top nonfatal reasons why people go to the emergency room in the United States.  In fact, with dog ownership on the rise since 2005, dog bite injuries are becoming more and more common.

While it is incredibly important that you know the steps to take to avoid getting bitten by a dog, you should also know what to do if you get injured by man’s best friend.  It can be a frightening experience, especially if the bite is severe, but it doesn’t have to be a debilitating one and you should be able to recover from it.  If you know the steps to take after you get bitten by a dog you will be able to address it in a calm and expedited manner to make sure you heal quickly.

If you find yourself in a situation where you’ve been bitten by a dog and you have a significant injury you should take the following steps to protect yourself and your long-term interests.

Step #1: Document the circumstances surrounding the dog bite injury.  Take pictures of the dog, the area around where you were bitten and pictures of your injury as well.  If you are not well enough to take the photos yourself, ask someone you are with to take photos for you.  It will be critical to document as much as you can so you avoid a lot of he said/she said in the days after the injury happened.

Step #2: Seek medical attention.  The sooner you are seen by a medical provider, the better off you will be both for your health and well-being and in the event that you believe you should file a case.  When you are seen by a medical professional you will have immediate documentation of all of your injuries and traumas relating to the injury and you will be able to present that when you are working on holding the dog owner accountable for the actions of their dog.

Step #3: Gather all of the records that you have of the incident.  The more information you have the better.  Your medical records, your photographs, information about the dog and the dog’s owner can all be critical to your long-term interests.

Taking the right steps when you experience a New Haven dog bite injury can be hard because you may be shocked or panicked from the injury itself.  If you are with someone else that can help you with some of these steps it may be easier for them to deal with collecting this information so you can tend to your panic and injury.  Leaning on a friend or companion to help you with the important work of collecting information about this incident will be something that will help you significantly in the long run.

Once you’ve followed the steps above you may decide that you need to speak to an experienced attorney.  Contact our office and one of our attorneys who have experience handling many different types of dog bite cases can work with you to protect your long-term interests.