Seek Medical Attention
Your first priority is your health. After being bitten by a dog, do not just walk away thinking everything is OK. Even severe injuries can take a long time to show up, and their symptoms are often subtle and can lead to scarring and disfigurement.
If an ambulance has been called to the scene, accept whatever help the EMTs might offer. If there’s no ambulance, go to your doctor or the nearest hospital. Get thoroughly checked out and follow all the instructions your doctor gives you.
Further, you should be sure to get copies of any medical records that come out of the attack. This information will prove invaluable to your injury lawyer should you decide to file a claim.
Notify the Owner, Learn About the Dog
After receiving all the medical attention that trained professionals recommend, speak to the dog’s owner about the incident. Be calm and polite and don’t get into any arguments. Don’t admit any fault for the attack.
Instead, notify the owner and get as much information about the dog as possible. That includes age, breed and whether the dog is up to date on its shots. This information will be useful to your injury lawyer, but also to your doctor as he treats the bite.
Notify Animal Control
It’s important that you let your local animal control unit know of the attack. They will quarantine the animal, review its medical history, test it for rabies and other diseases and keep records of the attack.
The phone number for Orange County animal control is 407-254-9410.
Contact an Injury Lawyer
Finally, contact our experienced injury lawyers.
It’s easy after a dog bite to shrug off the attack and talk yourself into dealing with the incident on your own. This is understandable, but you should always have someone representing you. Mr. Barszcz is experienced with animal attacks and knows how to pursue a case involving dog bite injuries.
Speaking to our injury lawyers does not obligate you to anything, but it does give you the opportunity to learn about your options and have a discussion about what to do next.
If you’re looking for an injury lawyer in Orlando or Winter Park to represent you after a dog bite, please contact the Law Offices of Michael Barszcz, M.D., J.D., for a free consultation.
