Dogs may be man’s best friend, but that does not mean they will be loving and compassionate all the time. One Pennsylvania police officer had to go to the hospital after a dog bit him. The officer had to undergo surgery while the dog went to a local shelter.
You may go to your friend’s house all the time. One day, your friend’s dog may bite you for no reason at all, or perhaps someone provoked the dog. Either way, you may not know what to do because you do not want to ruin a friendship. However, you also need to protect your health and finances. Therefore, you need to take the following actions.
Seek medical care
First and foremost, you want to make sure the dog bite does not lead to an infection. Clean the wound right away and go to a doctor’s office. Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic treatment to ward off infection. The doctor will ask you several questions, such as:
- Is the dog vaccinated?
- Was the dog’s attack unprovoked or provoked?
- Who is the dog’s owner?
- Do you have any pre-existing medical conditions?
Answer all these questions truthfully or to the best of your ability.
File a lawsuit
Anyone with a dog should have insurance to protect against such attacks. Therefore, you filing a lawsuit means you technically sue the insurance company instead of your friend directly. This can help alleviate some concerns with such lawsuits.
Report the dog bite
Many people are also hesitant to report the attack to animal control because they do not necessarily want the dog put down. As long as it is an isolated incident, the state will not put the dog to sleep. Instead, the owner may need to register the dog as “potentially dangerous.” The owner may also need to enroll the canine in dog obedience classes. These are all essential steps to ensure such an attack does not happen again.