Dog Bite Statistics and Injuries

The personal injury attorneys of our Texas law firm have compiled the following statistics concerning dog bites and dog attacks.

At least one individual in the United States seeks emergency medical attention for a dog bite every minute. That is over 500,000 serious dog attacks per year. An estimated 800,000 dog bites require at least some medical attention each year. Well over 200 million dollars are spent treating dog bite injuries each year.

Of the 800,000 attacks each year, approximately 44,000 dog attacks result in facial injuries, amounting to roughly 0.5 percent and 1.5 percent of all hospital emergency room visits. The statistics show that male patients slightly outnumber female patients. Unfortunately 60 percent of the dog bite victims are children, severe injuries occurring almost exclusively in children under 10 years old. 77 percent of injuries are to the face, though with mail carriers a vast majority of their injuries (97 percent) involve their lower extremities. The average hospital stay for a dog bite victim who is severely injured is 4.2 days.

If you have sustained injury from a dog bite and would like someone to review your case, contact our personal injury attorneys in Texas today.

Types of Dog Bite Injuries

Types of injuries dogs can inflict include abrasions, cuts, lacerations, punctures, crushing wounds, and bones fractures. These different types of wounds can sometimes result in disfiguring scars.

The vast majority of dog bite injuries happen when people are engaged in regular social behavior in appropriate places. 61 percent of bog bite attacks occur close to the home of the victim or the dog. Statistics show that in 77 percent of dog bite injuries, the dog bite victim is familiar with the dog.

It is difficult to predict what may provoke a friendly dog to bite someone. The dog may be panic-stricken, be in pain, feel threatened, or may be reacting to a number of other factors. Children aged five or younger are more likely to provoke animals; thus, children are always at greater risk.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a dog bite or other animal related injury, please contact Carabin Shaw today. We offer free initial consultations and work on a contingent fee basis, which means that there is never a fee unless we successfully resolve your case.

For immediate assistance, call us toll-free at 800-862-1260.

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