San Jose Dog Bite Child Victim Attorneys
Child Dog Bite Victims in San Jose
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children, particularly those ages 5 to 9, are the highest at risk for being bitten by a dog. Unfortunately, due to their unassuming nature, many children approach dogs without fear of bite potentiality, and consequently sustain some of the most severe dog bite injuries, which sometimes even result in wrongful death. However, dog owners do have a legal obligation to do everything in their power to prevent their dogs from harming others, and any failure to do so can be deemed as negligent behavior by a court of law.
Due to their smaller stature and the fact that they have not yet finished growing, children run the risk of sustaining significant injury if involved in a dog bite incident. With many dog bite injuries occurring near the face and neck area, injuries sustained may not only involve facial lacerations, but also bone fractures, potential nerve damage, or permanent disfigurement. Surgeries to correct such injuries may not always be successful in fully repairing the damage a child dog bite victim sustains. Consequently, if a child's physical growth or normal development is impeded in any way, then that child may sadly have to endure a lifetime of adapting to his or her injuries, and may not have as many opportunities in life that a non-physically affected child may potentially have.
In addition to life altering physical injuries potentially sustained during a dog bite accident, a child may also endure injuries that adversely affect their emotional development as well. Aside from the obvious fear of dogs that may be instilled as the result of a dog bite incident, children may also have to deal with the social stigma of being permanently disfigured, undoubtedly enduring some degree of ridicule along the way. Furthermore, if a physical handicap results from a dog bite incident, then the child will have to learn how to cope with his or her handicap, which in and of itself can be a truly demoralizing assignment for a young child to have to endure.
The CDC recommends that children facing a potential dog bite incident remain as calm as possible, opt not to run away, but remain perfectly still instead, even if the incident has escalated and the child has been knocked to the ground. Direct eye contact with the dog should always be avoided in a potential dog bite situation, as the dog may interpret such behavior to be the child attempting to establish his or her dominance over the animal. Unfamiliar dogs should not be approached, let alone played with, and interaction with any such dog should only occur under the watchful eye of an adult who is familiar with the dog's temperament and behavior.
If your child has recently been bitten by a dog, please do not delay in contacting the experienced Northern California dog bite attorneys at Van Der Walde & Associates. By California law, dog owners may be held legally accountable for the actions of their pets, and may be required to pay compensatory damages to those injured due to a dog bite. For more information about your child's rights as a dog bite injury victim, please call (877) 862-6288 today.
