Dog Bite Injury Introduction : The Facts
"Dogs are wonderful companions and play a significant role in our lives and in the lives of our children. Living and growing up with a dog benefits a child s development in many ways. Dogs also benefit adults' mental and physical health, and enrich all our lives.
Unfortunately, approximately one million people report dog bites every year. Estimates indicate that an equal number of bites go unreported. Every forty seconds, someone is presented to an emergency room in the US for dog bite related injury. About sixty percent of the victims are children, with the highest incidence seen in boys between 6 and 9 years of age. Seventy-seven percent of the bites occur to the child s face.
It is a common misperception that dog bites are typically due to so-called fighting dogs and stray animals. Sixty-one percent of dog bites occur in the dog s home or the home of the victim, and seventy-seven percent of dog-bite victims are members of or close friends with the dog owner s family and are familiar with the dog.
Dog bite-related injuries cost insurance companies $250 million in 1996. As a result, many insurance companies refuse to provide coverage to an individual who owns a dog that has severely bitten a person."
Source: University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
Reference:
K.L Overall, M. Love. Dog bites to humans demography, epidemiology, injury, and risk. JAVMA. 218: 1923-1932.
M. Love, K.L. Overall. How anticipating relationships between dogs and children can help prevent disasters. JAVMA. 219: 446-453.
|
Free Case Evaluation
No Fee / No Commitment
Law Firm Office Locations
|
