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Maryland Dog Bite Laws

The state of Maryland has laws addressing animal bites in general, and they also dictate a dog owner’s consequences if their dog attacks outlines many rules for owning a dog, including that any person, without liability, may kill or seize any dog which states that any owner whose dog is found to have caused damage to a person, livestock, or other property shall be responsible for that damage. This means that, according to the law, if a dog hurts you, your child, your pet, or your property, you are entitled to compensation from his or her injuries

If you or a loved one suffers from a on from the dog’s owner in civil court. You may be able to recover compensation for property damage, medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

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What Do You Do If You Are Bitten By A Dog?

There are several steps you should take after you are bitten.

First, it is important that you seek immediate medical attention. You need to assess the extent of your injuries, and you need to document these injuries to provide evidence for a potential personal injury claim.

Next, you should report the event to animal control. You don’t want additional injuries to befall others in your community; it is vital that ithere is a record so appropriate action can be taken.

Identify any witnesses to the incident. Again, this is a vital part of accruing evidence for a claim you might wish to file down the road.

Take pictures and write down your recollection of the events that proceeded the injury. The sooner you record this, the more accurate the record will be.

RABIES

Fortunately, widespread vaccination means that most domestic animals have had the rabies vaccine, so this deadly infection is much less common than it used to be. According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, about five thousand animal rabies cases occur annually, and only ten per cent of those cases are domestic animals. However, if you are bitten by an unfamiliar canine, there is no way of knowing if it has the rabies virus.

The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system and is fatal to any victim. If you’ve been bitten by a stray or even a familiar dog who doesn’t have proof of vaccination or who hasn’t been vaccinated on a routine schedule, the best thing to do is to seek a vaccine immediately. You don’t want to take the risk that you could have been bitten by an infected dog

According to the Centers for Disease Control, someone with an infection risk of rabies should be first treated with Human Rabies Immune Globulin before they embark on a series of rabies vaccines. This should be administered as soon as possible after exposure in tandem with the first vaccine, and three additional vaccines should be administered.

Some dog bites result in minor injuries, but the potential for rabies infection and other injuries, dog bites are not something you should disregard. It is important to seek medical attention so that you can get prophylactic antibiotics and ensure that you have a record of the dog bite incidence.

LACERATIONS

Dog attacks frequently leave victims with serious cuts & and permanent scarring. Dog bites frequently require stitches and bandages, particularly if the bite wound is deep and if the bleeding shows no signs of slowing down. You may even need to undergo expensive surgeries due to the bite wounds you suffer.

The most severe type of dog bite wounds are called avulsions. In these cases, soft tissues and even facial features are torn away, leaving behind skin and muscle hanging in flaps. This severe laceration would definitely require reconstructive surgery, which could increase the risk of infection. Overloaded boats

SCARRING

These painful and common injuries may deform the area of your body that the dog attacked, and permanent scarring is not uncommon. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, doctors performed over twenty-eight thousand reconstructive surgeries as a result of dog bites in 2015 alone.

Many victims of dog attacks suffer from permanent facial scarring, and facial deformities can be both physically and emotionally painful. Reconstructive surgery is often required, and younger children who suffer dog bites to the face could require multiple surgeries to deal with persistent scarring. Contact Maryland Accident Lawyer if you have questions about bog bites.

TETANUS

You’ve probably heard tetanus referred to as “lockjaw,’ and you might know it can result in muscle spasms as well as the inability to open your mouth.

BRAIN INJURIES

If the dog’s attack knocks you to the ground, it is possible that you could experience a traumatic, if your head hits a hard surface or object. This could result in memory loss, cognitive impairments, balance issues, and more.

Permanent disabilities are more common in cases involving children because of their smaller frames. Sadly, some child victims of dog attacks have experienced permanent visual impairment.

PUNCTURE WOUNDS

Dog attacks often result in deep wounds because of the sharpness of canine teeth and claws. If a bite punctures your skin, you need to seek immediate medical attention. Puncture wounds are usually deeper than lacerations, meaning they’re more likely to cause an infection.

When you go to the doctor, he or she will likely clean and treat your wound thoroughly and also prescribe prophylactic antibiotics to prevent infection. It is also possible you might require stitches to dog effectively treat bite wounds and achieve wound closure.

INFECTION

Dog bites are especially likely to get infected because the attack involves the animal’s mouth. Any animal bites run the risk of infection, but dog bites and cat bites are most frequently seen in emergency rooms. While it is said that dogs have cleaner mouths than humans, that is not necessarily the case.

According to a study, dogs have more than six hundred types of bacteria in their mouths, while humans have six hundred and fifteen. In other words, you should avoid dog bites and human bites if you hope to avoid the infection risk that comes with any animal bites. Avoid cat bites, too, even though their mouths contain half the bacteria of a dog’s mouth.

In addition to standard bacterial infections that will likely respond quickly to antibiotic treatment, dog bites can cause significant and unusual types of infection.

A typical infection can cause pus, fever, and redness at the wound site, and swelling. In the event you notice any of these symptoms, you need to seek immediate medical attention. Infections can become life-threatening when left untreated.

These unusual and severe bacterial infections are caused by the bacteria that live in a cat’s or dog’s mouth.

Tetanus is an incredibly dangerous infection that enters the body through puncture wounds and can cause symptoms including:

Tetanus will require hospitalization, and treatment includes intravenous tetanus immune globulin drugs as well as antibiotics and potentially a respirator. Contact Maryland Accident Attorney if you have questions about bog bites

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If you or someone you know have been bitten by a dog , call Maryland Aggressive Lawyer for a free legal consultation. We will help you understand your options, -- we'll make sure you get the legal help you need.