We’ve been on the subject of dog attacks here on our Worcester personal injury law blog in recent weeks and want to continue this week with a look at less-frequently recognized injuries associated with such incidents. We are talking about scarring and disfigurement injuries.
On the one hand, people might consider a Worcester dog attack victim lucky to be alive. Your coworkers, peers and maybe even family members might think that if you weren’t left permanently disabled or killed, you should be thankful. They might look at a child, even one badly scarred or disfigured, and assume that the injuries will get better on their own over time.
The fact is that scarring and disfigurement injuries often require extensive treatments over time. They might not even be the result of the animal bite injury alone — the staples and sutures a doctor applies may themselves leave the outer tissue badly scarred. Once the original wounds have healed, a plastic surgeon will be needed to assess the damage on the outside. He or she will recommend what procedures to follow from there.
While others around you might not be thinking about the long-term costs associated with such treatment, a legal professional will. Attorneys who practice in this area know that in Massachusetts, a dog owner could be liable for medical expenses associated with a bite or attack. That may include compensation for scarring and disfigurement treatments.
Readers with concerns about such injuries will find more information on our page dealing with Injuries Resulting in Scarring or Disfigurement. Scarring and disfigurement can have serious long-term effects on victims; a legal professional won’t let a negligent pet owner off the hook for your losses.