A parent’s worst fear is having their child suffer from serious injuries or medical conditions. Unfortunately, sometimes even man’s best friend can pose a risk of injury. If your child has suffered life-altering injuries because of a dog bit, our experienced dog bite lawyer at the Law Offices of Mark C. Blane, APC, can help you fight for the compensation you need to pay for their medical bills. We’ll review common dog bit injuries among children and how you can pursue compensation for damages under California’s dog bite laws.
Top 10 Dangerous Dog Breeds for Children
Bites from certain dog breeds are especially dangerous for small children. Here are the dog breeds most commonly involved in bite incidents:
- Pit bulls
- Rottweiler
- German Sheperd
- Doberman Pinscher
- Chihuahua
- Akita
- Bullmastiff
- Chow Chow
- Greyhound
- Mastiff
Although many of these dogs can be wonderful family pets, they can pose risks to children and adults alike if their owners do not provide adequate training and supervision.
Severe Injuries Children May Suffer in San Diego Dog Bite Incidents
Children tend to experience much more serious injuries than adults from a dog bite because of their small size and limited strength. Dogs’ teeth are so sharp that even one bite can cause severe damage. In some cases, a kid’s injuries can be life-altering or fatal. Here are some devasting injuries our dog bite injury attorney sees among young clients:
- Puncture wounds. If a dog bites or scratches a child, their teeth can pierce the child's skin, which could require stitches if the cut or scratch is deep enough, and the child may experience scarring. Unfortunately, dogs frequently bite kids' faces, necks, and hands, making the puncture wound and stitches more visible.
- Infections. A dog bite can cause severe infections, such as Pasteurella, strep, or rabies. Rabies can be deadly if not treated quickly, and children may need a series of painful shots to treat it.
- Fractures. Kids frequently experience broken noses, facial bones, arms, hands, legs, and ribs as a result of dog bite attacks. They may need multiple surgeries and suffer life-long pain and mobility limitations, affecting their quality of life.
- Amputations. If the damage to an arm, hand, leg, or foot is severe enough, the doctor may need to amputate the injured body part. This can affect a child's mobility and cause them emotional trauma at a sensitive time of their life.
- Scarring and disfigurement. Dog bites can cause noticeable scarring and disfigurement. Since dogs frequently bite kids on their faces, a child may have to cope with obvious scars or disfigurement for the rest of their life.
- Eye injuries. If a dog attacks a child's eyes, the child may suffer reduced or total vision loss or even lose an eye.
- Internal organ damage. Children may also suffer internal bleeding and organ damage if a dog mauls them. Their medical condition can quickly turn into a life-threatening emergency requiring surgery or even organ replacement, depending on the damage.
- Traumatic brain injury. If a child's head is jolted or punctured in a dog attack, they may suffer a concussion or a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI can cause life-long limitations in mobility, vision, and hearing, and it may also cause cognitive problems like memory loss, inability to concentrate, difficulty sleeping, and depression.
How a Dog Bite Attorney Can Help You Pursue Compensation From Insurance for Your Child’s San Diego Dog Bite Injuries
Fortunately, your child may be entitled to damages under California's dog bite laws. However, the reality is that the dog owner may not have sufficient funds to pay your child the full value of their claim unless they have an insurance policy that covers dog bite injuries. Our dog bite lawyer can file claims for you if the dog owner has any of these types of insurance:
- Homeowners insurance. If they own their home, the dog owner should have homeowners insurance that may cover your child's dog bite claim.
- Renters insurance. If the dog owner rents their home or apartment, they may have purchased renters insurance. Our attorney will review their policy to determine if they have coverage for dog bite injuries and file a claim for compensation if so.
- Umbrella policy. Some people purchase an umbrella policy, which is supplemental liability coverage to a homeowners or auto insurance policy. It may provide an additional source of compensation for your child.
- Commercial policy. If a dog attacked your kid at a rental property or business, the landlord may have a commercial insurance policy that could cover your child's injuries.
What happens if the dog owner has insufficient or no insurance to compensate your child? You may be able to file a claim under your own homeowners, umbrella, or renters insurance policy.
Our dog bite injury attorney will pursue every avenue of compensation to pursue the full compensation your child needs. He will also collect the evidence needed to win your child's case and follow the special procedures required in California to get your child's settlement approved by the court. He will handle every step of the legal process to pursue a settlement of your child's case so you can focus on helping them heal from their injuries.
