Five Steps to Take After Sustaining an Injury in a Wisconsin Dog Attack

Dogs are popular household pets. In fact, almost half of households in Wisconsin have dogs. While dogs are a man’s best friend, they are not all bark. Indeed, they can also attack and bite no matter how trained they are. Every year, millions of individuals are attacked and bitten by dogs and require medical treatment. If you have been bitten by a dog, you need a Wisconsin animal bites lawyer to help you understand your legal options and the steps you can take to secure compensation for your injury. Here’s what you should do after a dog bite:

Contact 911 or the Police

If you sustained a serious injury after being attacked by a dog, call 911 right away to get medical assistance. You must get the necessary treatment and the responding police officers can restrain the aggressive dog if its owner cannot.

Collect Information from the Owner of the Dog

Once the dog has been restrained and you can do so, ask for the name, contact information, and address of the dog owner. Take note of the dog’s size, breed, color, and name. also, take pictures of the attack scene and your injury as these can help the police make a report. Also, you will need these pieces of evidence to support your injury claim. 

Seek Medical Attention

If the emergency medical personnel do not treat you at the scene, visit an urgent care facility or emergency room to get medical treatment. This makes sure you get proper, prompt care and document your injury’s extent. A doctor can treat your injury to protect it against infections, rabies, tetanus, and scarring. 

Inform the Local Animal Control

If police were not contacted, report the dog bite accident to local animal control officials. When you talk to these officials, tell them just the facts and make sure you don’t exaggerate your statements. The officials will determine where the doctor will quarantine to observe signs of rabies and for how long. 

Hire a Lawyer

If you suffered an injury due to a dog attack in Wisconsin, speak with an attorney as soon as possible once you get medical treatment. Never try to settle your claim with the owner of the dog without an attorney. In Wisconsin, you can report the attack or bite to animal control up to three years from the incident date. The liability of the dog owner varies based on the seriousness of the attack; however, your case can turn into a criminal case. When this happens, the owner may face charges such as homicide and reckless endangerment. Whatever the case, you need an experienced attorney to advise and guide you.