Dog attacks frequently leave facial scars

Anyone can suffer a facial injury from a dog bite. However, dogs have an easier time reaching the faces of children, and it is often children who suffer from these serious wounds. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 66% of the 359,223 children aged one to 14 who suffered dog bite injuries in the United States from 2010-2012 suffered neck or face injuries.

If your child has been bitten on the face by a dog, then you should talk to his or her doctors about:

  • Infection.
  • Potential complications such as problems with hearing or sight.
  • Scarring.

Of course, you should also talk to your child’s doctors about any specific concerns based on your child’s injuries, and you should also consider your child’s legal rights. Your time to pursue a recovery on your child’s behalf is limited, and it is important to take action so that you can have the financial resources that you need to get your child the medical help, emotional help, and other help necessary for her recovery.

Recovering From a Dog Bite to the Face

Your child’s recovery from a facial injury may start in the hospital, but may continue long after the dog bite occurs. In the initial stages, bleeding should be stopped, the wound should be cleaned, and antibiotics may need to be provided to prevent or to treat an infection.

Recovering from a facial scar, however, may take a longer amount of time. Scars may be made to look better, but they cannot be erased entirely. Sometimes more than one treatment, technique, or surgery is necessary to improve the appearance of a scar. This can be painful and it can be expensive. Health insurance does not typically cover all of the costs of surgeries that the insurance company deem to be cosmetic—even if the scar is a lasting physical reminder of a traumatic event or if it interferes with your child’s self-esteem or self-confidence.

Don’t Let Cost Be the Reason You Skip Scar Revision Surgery

It can be very frustrating to be in a position where you want facial scar revision surgery for your child and you can’t afford it. Accordingly, it is important to consider future facial scar revisions surgeries when you are negotiating your dog bite settlement with the dog owner or the dog owner’s insurance company. You will not be able to recover additional money later if you decide to get facial scar revision surgery in the future and you have already settled your dog bite case. Instead, the time to consider the costs of such surgeries is now with the help of an experienced dog bite lawyer.

To learn more about how to value future surgeries and protect your child’s rights after a dog bite injury, please fill out our free contact form on this page.

Jason F. Abraham
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Helping car accident and personal injury victims throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa since 1993.