A dog bite may seem like a simple injury, but when their sharp teeth penetrate deep into your skin, serious issues can develop. Puncture wounds from dog bites differ from more superficial bites because of the way the fangs embed into the tissue. Understanding the mechanics of these deeper wounds helps you know how to respond if you or someone you know suffers one.
At LA Dog Bite Law, we have years of experience helping dog bite victims recover compensation for their suffering. We understand this trauma firsthand.
We have handled hundreds of dog bite cases, securing favorable jury verdicts and high insurance settlements for clients. Our dog bite lawyers know the physical pain, emotional distress, and financial chaos that victims experience. So, we fight aggressively to hold negligent owners accountable, get you maximum compensation, and prevent future dog bite attacks.
According to statistics, 4.5 million dog bites occur each year nationwide. Children are the most common victims, with nearly 60% of injuries occurring in kids under 10. Even “family dogs” and popular breeds like Labrador retrievers and Chihuahuas can suddenly bite violently.
Beyond bloody gashes and broken bones, bite wounds carry crushing emotional weight and steep financial losses covered below.
Physical Trauma
When a dog clamps its jaws down on human flesh, their sharp teeth puncture the skin with up to 200 pounds of pressure per square inch — enough to crack bones.
Profound Wounds
A dog’s teeth easily tear flesh down through muscle. Saliva contains toxic bacteria that rapidly infect these gaping holes, causing redness, swelling, oozing pus, fever, and extreme pain. Severe cases can lead to infection or rabies and require emergency surgery, IV antibiotics, and lengthy hospital stays.
Nerve and Tissue Damage
Sharp fangs pierce nerves and shred connective tissues in the skin, muscles, and veins. This nerve damage causes acute pain that persists long after the bite. Many victims live with chronic neuropathic impairment and immobility for months or years.
Broken and Fractured Bones
When powerful jaws clamp down with a force exceeding 200 PSI, they crack wrist and arm bones. Fingerbones also splinter. Ribs and vertebrae may fracture. Legs, feet, and toes often break, requiring surgeries, pins, plates, and complex therapy. Victims with broken bones from dog bite wounds could battle lasting stiffness and arthritis for the rest of their lives.
Scarring and Disfigurement
A dog may violently shake a victim’s body parts and shred skin down to the muscle. Torn flaps of flesh may also die off. Scarring leads to deformity and loss of function, especially on the face and hands. Multiple complex surgeries typically follow to reduce scarring.
Organ Damage and Death
In rare fatal cases, bites pierce the abdomen and can cause organ damage. Dogs also have been known to massacre small kids. And afterward, surviving parents face a painstaking recovery.
Puncture wounds change the equation. Now, the protective barrier of the skin no longer keeps out invasive bacteria. Infection now gains an entry point down into muscles, tissue, and blood.
Bacteria follow the path of the tooth’s damage, spreading contamination throughout surrounding areas. Abnormal sensations, redness, and swelling signal growing infection issues below the bite marks.
Additionally, the dog’s saliva transmits bacteria deep below the skin’s surface. Capnocytophaga CANIMORSUS accounts for over 80% of infections resulting from dog bites. Left untreated, rapidly multiplying bacteria can lead to widespread skin necrosis, gangrene, septic shock, and amputations. Quick medical intervention limits long-term injury and disability from a dog’s bite.
Knowing when to seek immediate medical care or emergency treatment allows prompt action limiting infection risk. Seeking same-day medical assistance ensures doctor’s document wounds while still fresh.
Take photos of bite marks and bruising from multiple angles. Report all dog bite incidents to animal control. Their reports investigate scenarios that provoked the attack so future issues minimize the possibility of repeated aggression.
Signs requiring urgent medical intervention include:
California adheres to “strict liability” statutes that force dog owners to shoulder full responsibility for bites occurring in public spaces or lawful private areas like shared driveways and sidewalks. This legal duty means that even friendly family pets and first-time biters require compensation for victims’ damages under California Civil Code § 3342.
By California law, the dog owner is financially liable for all treatment costs, lost wages, continuing medical care, and “pain and suffering” damages that radically diminish the dog bite victim’s quality of life. Securing experienced legal counsel also levels the playing field against resistant insurance firms. Let us shoulder the battle so you can focus on healing.
If you or a loved one suffered bite puncture wounds from a dog attack in Southern California, our distinguished dog bite attorneys can help. After representing many dog attack clients over the years, our record of delivering favorable jury verdicts and settlements speaks for itself. Clients rightfully recover more when working with us.
We Have Years of Experience in Dog Bite Law
We are competent dog bite litigators in Los Angeles. Our sole focus on dog bite puncture wounds helps us secure unparalleled results through meticulous legal strategies centered on victim suffering.
We Fight Aggressively Against Powerful Interests
Most insurers deny claims and offer extremely low settlement offers to naive, distressed victims. They know settlements may seem “fair” while you struggle to heal. We fight for your rights and secure positive outcomes.
No Legal Fees Unless We Win Your Case
We work for free unless you get paid. Our contingency-fee model aligns our incentive to get you maximum damages for bills, lost income, trauma, and more. We also charge no upfront costs to evaluate your case.
Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation with our animal attack personal injury attorneys. We will discuss your injuries, treatment, expenses, and other hardships to assess your legal options. You have nothing to lose and compensation to gain by calling today.
Whether you’ve suffered from deep lacerations, infections, nerve damage, emotional trauma, or other types of dog bite injuries, our experienced team is here to provide you with the legal support and guidance you need.
Technically, no — but retaining legal counsel vastly improves your award payout. Seasoned personal injury lawyers reliably deliver more prominent jury awards and settlements thanks to their dog-bite litigation experience and cunning negotiation skills most victims lack when facing down big insurance companies.
California’s strict liability statutes still hold owners 100% financially liable regardless of relationship or bite location. However, victims may choose not to sue known dog owners even though bringing personal injury action remains within their legal rights.
The state’s strict liability laws ignore “fault” and ban dog bite lawsuit remedy reductions due to a victim’s negligence or unintentional presence on private property. However, you may forfeit your right when you knowingly trespass on another’s land or provoke a dog into deliberately biting you.
California’s strict liability statute of limitations gives victims two years from the date of injury to pursue legal action against dog owners and their insurance companies. After this period, victims forfeit their rights to financial recovery.
Our reach extends throughout California, from the sunny streets of San Diego to the bustling cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, and beyond. We’re here to help victims across the state report dog bites, find the legal support they need, and ensure that justice is served. By reporting dog bites and seeking assistance, we’re all doing our part in making our communities safer while helping victims get back on their feet.
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