St. Louis Child Dog Attack Attorneys

When Your Child is Injured in a Dog Attack

Every year approximately 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs, according to recent statistics from the CDC (Center for Disease Control). Of those injuries, approximately 885,000 of the bites are severe enough to require medical treatment. Among those that are injured in a dog attack, children are more likely to sustain severe injuries and require medical treatment, especially children who are between the ages of 5 and 9. If your child is injured by a dog, it is important to know your legal rights. A dog bite compensation attorney will help explain the Missouri dog bite laws.

A dog bite can be a serious and traumatic event – especially for young children. Children who are attacked by a dog often experience severe injuries due to their small frame. Unfortunately, many children are bitten in the head, face and neck region. Dog bites in these areas can cause permanent scarring, nerve damage and facial fractures. In addition, the emotional trauma from being attacked by a dog can leave children with anxiety, depression, insecurities and a fear of dogs throughout their lives. Some children even experience post traumatic stress disorder and can spend years in therapy and counseling. Because of the extreme damage that dog bites can cause, it is important to determine if there is any dog bite liability.

Are You Aware of Recent Changes to Missouri Dog Bite Laws?

If your child is bitten by a dog, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Dog bites can often become infected and serious bites may require stitches and even plastic surgery. If this occurs, you will need an experienced Missouri child injury lawyer to help you receive the money you need to pay for all of your child’s medical treatments and therapies. Recently, Missouri law has been changed to protect the victims of dog bite injuries. A dog bite liability attorney will be able to explain all of the recent changes that took place in 2009.

After a dog bite injury, it is common for parents to experience a wide range of emotions. Parents of dog bite victims often feel guilty, angry, and depressed. Following a dog attack, it is best to avoid saying anything to the dog owner directly. Any statements you make will be used against you later. A dog bite tort law attorney will be able to assist you in the period following the bite. It is crucial that that a methodical approach is followed after the incident. The attorney will handle all the dog bite laws while you take care of your injured child.

Help for Baby and Infant Dog Bite Victims

Dog bites affect over 800,000 U.S. residents each year, many of whom are children. Young children ages 5 to 9 are most likely to need hospital care as the result of a dog bite, but babies, particularly infants under the age of one year, are also highly likely to suffer dog bite injuries.

Infants are at particular risk in dog bite situations, not because they have the highest rate of dog bite injuries, but because they are most likely to suffer the most severe injuries from a dog bite. As any caregiver who has held an infant knows, their bodies are small and delicate, and many key protective systems, such as their bones, are still developing. A dog bite that might require only a few stitches for an older child can require major surgery and cause permanent disabilities in a small baby. If your child suffers such devastating injuries as the result of another’s negligence, a dedicated St. Louis dog bite lawyer at Page Law can help.

Infant Dog Bite Injuries

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), infants are more likely than older children to suffer severe injuries like the following due to a dog bite:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Bites to the head can easily cause traumatic brain injuries in infants, especially if the bite is severe. The National Institutes of Health note that puncture wounds from a dog’s teeth can go through an infant’s soft, still-forming skull, or even break through the spaces between the skull plates in newborns, whose skulls are still fusing into their final, complete form. Babies may also suffer traumatic brain injuries like concussions if they are bitten on another part of the body but fall or jerk away, hitting their heads on a hard object or the floor in the process. Traumatic brain injuries can cause permanent problems with motor skills, communication, muscle coordination, and other core functions.
• Facial injuries. A dog bite to the face nearly always results in traumatizing and permanent injuries. Even when the function of the muscles and organs of the face are fully restored, surgery is often required, and permanent scars may result. In rare cases, a bite from a very large or powerful jaw may even break the jaw or other bones of the face, requiring additional surgery and healing time and increasing the chances of permanent disabilities.
• Soft tissue injuries. An infant may be bitten on any part of the body, and even when the bones are left unharmed, bites almost always cause damage to the muscles and soft tissues. These bites pose an immediate risk of bleeding and infection, as well as long-term risks of scarring and muscle, nerve, or soft tissue impairments. Mild bites may heal completely with prompt and proper medical care, but more severe ones may leave lasting disabilities.

What You Can Do if a Dog Attacks Your Child

The experienced Missouri dog bite victim attorneys at Page Law have helped many families overcome the pain and fear caused by a dog bite to a baby or other young one. When a baby or child is injured by a dog bite, the experience is scary, but legal rights and remedies are available – including the option to seek compensation from a negligent dog owner or other party. To learn more about how we can help you, call our office today at (314) 322-8515.