An attack from a dog, whether large or small, can do serious harm to the victim. According to data from the American Humane Association, 82% of dog bites that are treated in the emergency room involve children younger than 15 years of age.
Dog owners have a responsibility to any person who may come in contact with their animal to maintain a safe environment and prevent an attack situation from taking place, though many dog owners do not. Negligence on the part of a dog owner can take many forms, but the result is the same. Accidents and injuries are more likely to occur when an owner allows their pet free reign.
Were you or a loved one injured by a dog bite? If so, you may be eligible for compensation because of the physical pain, mental anguish, and medical expenses you incurred as a result of the injury. The law firm of O’Connor, Acciani & Levy are ready to defend the rights of dog attack victims, which is why we will always fight for the MAXIMUM amount of compensation due to our clients.
Dog Bite Statistics
The following statistics were provided by research conducted by the American Humane Association:
- Almost 800,000 dog bites require medical care each year
- Children 12 and younger are the victims of dog attacks 50% of the time
- 65% of bites to children occur on the head or neck
- 70% of dog bite fatalities occur to children 10 and younger
- Unsupervised newborns are 370x more likely than an adult to be killed by a dog
- Approximately 4.7 million dog bites occur annually in the United States
- Approximately 24% of human deaths are related to unrestrained dogs off their owners property
- Approximately 60% of dog bites occur near the victims property with a known dog
- Arms, legs, feet and hands are the target of 71% of dog bites
- 92% of dog attacks were from male dogs that were not neutered
- The insurance industry pays over $1 billion in dog bite claims annually
If faced with a dog that you believe may be about to attack, remain calm, do not run or make eye contact with the animal, and slowly back away. Though we have adopted them as pets, dogs are still animals with extremely strong instincts, and it is important to give them respect and personal space to avoid a bite.
If you are harmed by a dog, contact an experienced dog bite lawyer and consult the statistics bites are deadly, and you deserve to be represented by an injury lawyer that has compassion and intelligence in a court of law.