Being injured by a dog can result in serious physical injuries, whether the victim is a child or an adult. However, beyond the physical injuries, victims and witnesses of dog attacks can also suffer emotionally. A dog attack can be traumatic, and it can alter a person’s perception of the world and their safety within it.
For example, an adult or a child who previously loved dogs and enjoyed playing with them could now see them as something inherently dangerous. They may even develop a phobia of dogs as a result of the incident, causing them to have extremely high anxiety when in the presence of a dog and also actively trying to avoid places where dogs might frequent, such as parks. If you or your child have suffered emotionally after being injured by a dog, the following are some things that you should know.
You have the right to claim damages for all injuries
If you can prove that you were attacked by a dog and did not do anything to provoke it, the owner of the dog will likely be held liable for the incident, since they had the duty to prevent the dog from posing harm to others. When making your claim, you should be able to gain back damages for all medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses that resulted from the incident. Additionally, you should be able to gain damages for the pain and emotional suffering caused by the incident.
Invest in your emotional recovery
Going to therapy is an important step to take if you have been emotionally affected by the incident. The damages that you gain from your legal claim will be able to fund these sessions, which will help you to move on emotionally.
Make sure that you do what is right for you and take action to hold a dog owner liable for the dog attack that occurred.