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3 Steps To Take If Your Neighbor's Dog Bites You

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Are you concerned that your neighbor's dog may end up biting you at some point? You may have noticed the dog is often walking around the neighborhood without a leash and it seems vicious. Other people in the neighborhood may have even had problems with this specific animal in the past, especially when walking their own dogs. Even if you are cautious, it is important to know exactly what to do if you end up in this situation.

1. Take a Trip to the Hospital

When suffering from a dog bite, it is important to go to the hospital. If you are unable to drive there yourself or have someone else take you there, call an ambulance to pick you up and transport you to the hospital. You may need stitches as a result of the teeth tearing into the skin. A medical professional may also administer a tetanus shot.

2. Use Ice to Relieve the Pain

Although a medical professional may prescribe pain relievers, you can get some relief from the pain you are feeling by applying a bag of ice directly on top of the injury. The ice would cause a bit of a numbing sensation, but it can help reduce some of the swelling that often occurs after a person suffers from a dog bite.

3. Talk to a Personal Injury Lawyer

You might assume you cannot take legal action against the attacker because it is a dog. However, you can take legal action with the help of a personal injury lawyer. The lawyer will understand that you have been through a traumatic experience and are suffering both physically and emotionally as a result of the bite. While you cannot necessarily sue a dog, you can take action against its owners who should certainly be held responsible for the actions of their pet.

The lawyer may help you file a lawsuit against the owners of the dog, claiming negligence on their behalf. After all, if the dog is on a leash and is looked after carefully, accidents like these likely would not happen. Your personal injury attorney would provide medical records, photos of the injuries and statements from anyone in the neighborhood who may have been in the area when the accident took place. If there are any witnesses, they may be able to provide an in-depth description of exactly what happened right before and during the attack.

The purpose of suing the owners of the pet is to hold them responsible for what the dog did to you. They will need to suffer the consequences based on the decisions they made to allow their pet to roam freely unsupervised without a leash. While compensation will not take away the pain you have experienced, it helps to have it when you are dealing with costly medical bills and taking time off of work to seek treatment.

Even if you are careful, there is always a possibility that a roaming dog could bite you. If you have noticed that one of your neighbor's is allowing their pet to run freely and is not paying attention to it, you may have some concerns. It is important to act quickly if you do end up with a bite from the animal, whether it is severe or not. For more information, talk to a professional like Erickson Law Office.


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