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A dog bite is much more common than you might think. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dogs bite more than 4.5 million people every year and one in five of the victims—approximately 885,000 people—are injured seriously enough to require medical attention.
A large number of dog bite victims are children—especially those between the ages of 5 and 9—who may not know how to behave safely around dogs. When a dog bites a child, the wound may bleed excessively. Following are some steps to help stop the bleeding until you can get medical assistance:
- Find a clean cloth – Find a clean towel, washcloth, or other absorbent cloth that you can use to cover the wound.
- Apply pressure – Cover the wound with the clean cloth and apply slight pressure until the bleeding stops completely.
- Elevate the area – For some wounds, the bleeding may be hard to stop. In that case, elevate the punctured area above the heart, if possible.
Seek medical attention right away to help prevent infection and scarring. If you or your child was bitten by a dog in Santa Monica or the surrounding area and suffered a serious injury, you may be entitled to compensation. Call 1-800-350-8888 today to discuss your legal options with an experienced personal injury attorney at Steinberg Injury Lawyers Injury Lawyers or download a free copy of their book entitled, 7 Biggest Mistakes That Can Ruin Your California Injury Case, for information you can right away.