What To Do Immediately After You Have Been Bitten By a Dog
If you have ever had a puppy, you’ve probably felt those sharp puppy teeth on your skin a few more times than you’d like. It’s not usually a big deal; after all, the puppy will most likely outgrow this habit. If you do get a little scratch or gash it is easy enough to rinse the wound, clean it with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol, put on some topical antibiotic cream, and cover it with a bandage.
But as dogs get older, their bites can become much more severe. Dog bites can become very dangerous depending on the dog and the circumstances. If you’re around dogs or live in a neighborhood with dogs, it’s important to know what to do if you’re bitten. If you are involved in a dog attack or dog bite, you may be too shocked to think logically. Knowing what to do immediately after you have been bitten by a dog before it happens can help you to stay calm and take care of yourself as quickly as possible.
The first thing you want to do if you’ve been bitten by a dog is to assess the situation. If you are bleeding profusely or the wound is on your head or neck, seek medical attention immediately. If you’re not in any life-threatening danger, don’t be afraid to let the wound bleed a little. This bleeding will help to flush out any bacteria the dog may have introduced. After about five minutes, try to stop the bleeding. If you aren’t able to do so, get medical help.
If the dog that attacked you was not your dog, this is a good time to exchange information with the dog owner. Get their contact information as well as their insurance information. You’ll want to get vaccination records for their dog as well. During this process, do not discuss who is at fault. This is something that should be taken care of by a personal injury lawyer. Before you leave the scene, it is also a great idea to get the contact information of anyone that witnessed the biting.
If you are bitten by a dog and there is no owner around, contact your local Animal Control immediately. You’ll then want to call 911 to get a rabies vaccination.
Once the bleeding has stopped, you’ll want to wash the wound with soap and water. If you have antibiotic cream, apply this to the wound. Puncture wounds don’t typically need bandaging, but if you’re worried about keeping the injury clean or there is more damage done than just punctures, you’ll want to bandage the wound. Use a sterile bandage and keep it clean by changing it often. See a doctor if you think you may be in need of stitches.
In some dog bite cases, you may need a personal injury lawyer to help with a pain and suffering lawsuit or personal injury lawsuit. If you’re wondering what will happen next, it is similar to the slip and fall lawsuit process.
The first thing you need to do is hire a personal injury attorney, like the professionals at Cockayne Law. They can help answer your questions about what to do next, and inform you of the average personal injury settlements. After you’ve immediately taken care of your dog bite, give us a call at (801) 896-9306 so we can take of the remaining cleanup.
