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Dog bites can lead to serious personal injuries requiring immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, dog bites are incredibly common throughout the United States. According to the American Humane Association, there are roughly 4.7 million annual dog bites each year, with 800,000 requiring medical care.

It s estimated each year insurance companies pay out over $1 billion in dog-bite related claims. This is a significant figure and is a result of the severity and pervasiveness of dog bites.

There are many reasons why a dog bites. Dogs bite out of fear or to protect their territory or to establish their dominance over the person bitten. Some owners mistakenly teach their dogs that biting is an acceptable form of play behavior, and every year a number of newborn infants die when they are bitten by dogs that see them as prey. There are several common sense methods of preventing dog bites, but sometimes there is no way to avoid an attack. If you are attacked, first try to block the attack with an object like a jacket or backpack. If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball, protect your face by covering your head and neck, and cover your ears, as well.

Try to identify the dog that bit you and see if you can get the address to the house where the dog bite occurred. If this information isn t available or if the dog is a stray, you may end up having to get treated for rabies.

Seek medical attention as soon as possible after being bitten and follow all physician instructions.

Take pictures of your injuries as soon as possible. These will help your case tremendously as they will serve as a critical piece of evidence in a lawsuit.

As soon as possible after you ve received medical attention, focus on finding out as much as you can about the dog and the owner, including whether or not the owner has insurance. Types of insurance policies that typically cover dog bites include:

• Homeowner s insurance;
• Renter s insurance;
• Landlord s insurance (covering the owner, occupier and/or manager of property);
• Commercial general liability insurance (covering stores and other businesses);
• Insurance covering employers (protecting employees only); and
• Motor vehicle insurance.

If the owner does have insurance, be sure to find out:

• The name of insurance company;
• The address of the office;
• Telephone number; and
• The policy owner s name.

Once you ve contacted the insurance company, be sure to get a claim number.

Interview witnesses (if there were any) at the location of the attack or as soon as possible after the attack. The sooner you interview witnesses the better because memories fade in time and you need the facts as fresh as possible. Be sure to take down names, addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses to the attack.

If the dog owner does not have insurance or the insurance policy limits are inadequate to cover your claim, the dog owner may be personally liable for your damages. The dog owner may also be personally liable if he or she acted with actual malice and intentionally caused the injury. If the dog owner is uninsured, under-insured or acted with malice, you definitely need a dog bite attorney to help you assert your legal rights.

As a dog bite victim, you may be entitled to damages and losses, ranging from medical bills and emotional damage, to loss of the opportunity to earn income in the future because of disfigurement. Only an experienced dog bite lawyer listed above will be able to determine if your case has merit. State statutes of limitations do apply, and you may have little as 60 days to initiate your claim.

The information on this page is meant to provide a general overview of the law. The laws in your state and/or city may deviate significantly from those described here. If you have specific questions related to your situation you should speak with a local attorney or find qualified local Dog Bite Lawyers on LawInfo. Or, click to find Dog Bite Lawyers in a specific location .