Can Dog Bites Have Long Term Effects?
In the short-term, dog bites almost inevitably incur a litany of medical bills and no end of stress. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and panicked after being hurt, but once you’ve taken the necessary legal and medical steps after being bitten by a dog, your thoughts are bound to turn to the future. Knowing the potential long-term effects of a dog bite can be comforting, but is also essential if you decide to seek out lasting compensation for your suffering.
Long-Term Risks of Dog Bites
Dog bites are rarely clean, simple injuries that mend readily with simple bandages. As with any puncture wound, you’ll need to see a doctor to have your bite treated by a professional—however, professional treatment doesn’t negate the risk of lasting consequences:
- Disfigurement. Even after healing fully, many victims of dog bites are left with permanent scarring or other forms of disfigurement. While cosmetic, these types of injuries are no less severe, and often require surgery to restore the patient’s quality of life.
- Lasting internal damage. Whether through infection or deep wounds, dog bites commonly crush bones, damage nerves, rupture blood vessels, and tear tendons. These can lead to permanent pain, loss of sensation or movement, and other acute medical conditions.
- Death. Although rare, people can and do pass away as a result of dog bites, especially when the victim is frail (70% of all dog bite fatalities involve children under the age of ten years old, and another 10% are seniors).
For parents with at-risk children, it’s essential to know everything possible about dog bites in children and the lasting implications they can have. The small stature and physical weakness of children make them more likely to receive wounds to the neck and head; infection is also especially likely in children who don’t disinfect their wounds promptly, given their developing immune system. Additional information regarding animal bite infections in children is out there, and we encourage you to do your own research. If your child was recently bitten by a dog, first, schedule an appointment with a doctor to make sure they’re ok—then, turn to a personal injury lawyer in Nevada to answer any legal or financial questions you might have.
Lasting Mental Implications
Regardless of the actual scope and severity of injuries sustained, dog bites are deeply traumatic experiences that can leave lasting mental scars. Developing a fear of dogs is extremely common after a dog bite, which can lead to a stark drop in quality of life as survivors experience nightmares, generalized anxieties, and episodes of severe mental stress comparable to post-traumatic stress disorder. These anxieties can lead to depressive symptoms, mood disorders, and reclusive tendencies as well, especially if victims choose to avoid public interactions for fear of encountering another dangerous dog.
Compensation for Dog Bite Injuries in Nevada
If you’ve suffered as a result of a dog bite in Nevada, you shouldn’t also have to worry about crippling medical bills. Beyond bills and other tangible damages, you also deserve comprehensive compensation for your mental and physical suffering—in either case, we can help. Give us a call at (702) 550-1111 to talk to a Nevada personal injury attorney, free of charge, and learn more about how you can be compensated for both the short and long-term effects of dog bites.