Types of Dog Bites
Dogs have the ability to cause a variety of injuries during an attack, which include crush injuries and puncture wounds. A majority of dog attacks result in the victim suffering from puncture wounds (cuts and abrasions of the skin), perhaps not as severe as crush injuries, but are also very serious and should be attended to. When biting, a dog may lock its jaw to the victim and shake its head back and forth, ripping the flesh off of the victim. The result of this type of dog attack may include a huge loss of blood, scarring, and the removal of flesh or entire limbs.
Because dogs have a predatory nature, their attacks tend to be with their teeth, rather than their paws. The jaw strength of a large working dog may exert more than 450 pounds of pressure per square inch, which is definitely enough to cause serious injury and require medical attention. In fact, that is more than ten times the amount of pressure a person can apply with their hand, therefore, it has the potential to crush flesh, skin and bone, and even cause nerve and muscle damage.
Crush wounds, injuries which do not break the skin, can cause serious damage to soft tissues and bones while leaving the skin intact. When a child is bitten by a dog, the young victim is more likely to sustain bite wounds than an older person, especially to their neck and head. In children, these injuries can be particularly life threatening. There have been many reports of severe child dog bite injuries caused by a dog’s strong jaw, including skull fractures, broken jaw bones, and torn flesh, all of which are extremely painful.
No matter the type of injury a Seattle dog bite victim sustains, it can be life-threatening and may result in long term or permanent injuries. For example, serious cuts to the skin may result in permanent scarring, affect a person’s social life, self-esteem, and job prospects. When a dog bite injury limits the victim’s mobility, such as the inability to use one’s hand, the victim may have difficulty performing certain job related duties, therefore affecting their employability and income.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a dog bite injury in Washington, please contact Bernard Law Group for a free consultation with an experienced and dedicated Washington dog attack attorney.
