What Happens If You Get Bitten by a Dog?

No one intends to be bitten by a dog, but sometimes man’s best friend doesn’t know better or wasn’t properly raised to distinguish friend from foe. Maybe you unknowingly egged on the canine and a reflexive action on its part turned sour, and you’re left with a nasty bite.

So, what do you do when you’ve been bitten by someone’s dog? 

Seek Medical Attention

The first thing you need to do when bitten by a dog is to seek medical attention immediately. The risk of infection in an open wound is too high to simply go home and slap an adhesive bandage on the bite. Dog bite wounds will need to be professionally cleaned and dressed to prevent infection.

Depending on the situation, rabies vaccination may also be necessary to reduce the risk of contracting the disease yourself.

Compensation with a Columbus Dog Bite Attorney

The more severe dog bites can put you in the hospital—and out of work—for an indeterminate amount of time. As your medical bills pile up fighting infection or undergoing operations, you could also miss out on wages earned. This is when a Columbus dog bite attorney can help you seek compensation for your medical bills and injuries.

The Ohio Revised Code, like many other states, allows Columbus dog bite lawyers to help victims seek compensation for their injuries and bills. The Ohio Revised Code § 955.28 states that those in charge of a dog are liable in “damages for injury, death, or loss to a person that is caused by the dog . . .”  Liability falls on owners, keepers, and harborers of the canine. This means that if a friend of the owner had taken the dog on a walk through the park and that dog bit somebody, the friend becomes liable.

If you’ve been bitten by a dog and need to seek compensation for your injuries, contact Heit Law for a successful and professional Columbus dog bite attorney.

Defenses for Dog Bite Charges

While the Ohio Revised Code holds strict liability for owners of dogs that have bitten other people, there are defenses a Columbus dog bite defense attorney can use against someone seeking compensation.

Liability does not fall on a dog owner in certain situations such as the following:

• The individual who was bitten was committing or attempting to commit a trespass on the property of the owner,
• The bitten individual was committing or attempting to commit a criminal offense against any person on the owner’s property, and

The bitten was teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog on the owner’s property.

Mike

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