While many dog bites are nothing to worry about, they can be serious and in many cases, maiming or deadly. It is estimated that dog attacks happen at a rate of 4.7 million dog bites a year in the United States. Many times, the dog bite occurs near or on the property of the pet owner. In those cases, the owner is responsible, and once you have sought medical attention, you should contact an injury lawyer in Cedar Rapids, IA to help you with your case. However, there are three things that you should do after suffering the bite of a dog. Read on below for those things.
Seek Medical Care Right Away
Even if the bite doesn’t warrant an emergency room visit, it is best to be checked out by your doctor. Infection is the most commonly complained about a problem that results from a dog bite. It is crucial that you seek medical attention to prevent infection and so that the proper authorities can find out if the dog has had its shots. Once you have sought medical care, then you need to contact an injury lawyer in Cedar Rapids, IA to discuss the possibility of filing suit.
Report the Bite to Animal Services
Once you are assured that you are going to be okay, it’s important to report your dog bite to animal services right away. Once you report the bite, the proper authorities will be sent to take a report, inspect the animal and cite the owner of the dog. Although, you may think that the bite is not a big deal, it’s very seldom that a dog only bites once. Report and stop the dog before some get seriously hurt or worse.
Check into Legal Recourse
It is estimated that insurance companies in the United States pay out around $1 billion in dog-bite claims a year. These settlements help to take care of everything from doctor bills to lost wages. If you aren’t sure about your case, or even if you are, it’s best to contact a lawyer to help you with the insurance claims or if you have to go to court.
These are just a few of the things that you should do if you are bitten by a dog. Contact the professionals at Currie and Liabo for more information today.