A dog bite injury can be terrifying, painful, and leave the bitten person with permanent physical and emotional scars. When a biting dog or cat has rabies, however, the long-term health risks to anyone bitten by that animal increase dramatically.
Rabies cases in domestic pets have been declining throughout the United States in recent years, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. The rate has especially dropped in Tennessee due to state mandatory vaccination laws for dogs and cats. However, nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. are treated for rabies as a preventative measure each year. These treatments are especially common after a person has been bitten by a strange dog.
While rabies vaccinations can keep dogs from getting rabies and transmitting it to humans, many people who are bitten by dogs each year do not know the dog and are unable to catch it in order to have it tested. Therefore, doctors who treat dog bite victims in hospital emergency rooms may recommend the person be treated for rabies “just in case.” Although the cost of rabies treatment is high, it is not as high as the personal cost of actually developing rabies – a disease that, if left untreated, is fatal.
If you are bitten by a strange dog or other animal, wash the bite area with water and mild soap for at least five minutes, and seek medical attention immediately. Medical professionals can help determine if preventative rabies treatment is needed. If you can, catch or confine the animal that bit you so that it can be tested for rabies.
Dog bites can be terrifying and carry high financial and personal costs. If you or someone you love suffered a dog bite, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced Tennessee dog bite injury lawyersat Massey & Associates, P.C. For a free consultation on your Chattanooga-area injury case, call us today at (423) 396-0720.
Gary Massey, Jr., is a well-known courtroom advocate practicing law in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Gary is a native of Tennessee who began practicing law in 1998. He graduated from Cumberland School of Law where he was ranked in the top 3% of his class and was an editor of the Cumberland Law Review.
