I still remember my accident like it was yesterday. One minute I was driving my daughter to school and the next I was waking up in a hospital bed. It was frustrating to deal with the emotional trauma of forgetting an entire week of my life, in addition to stressing about my small child. Fortunately, we were both able to recover, but it wasn't easy walking dealing with the medical bills that accompanied the accident. I found myself struggling with things as simple as answering the phone, because I was nervous about dealing with another insurance adjuster. Fortunately, by working with a lawyer, I was able to make sense of my situation. I know that you can overcome difficult challenges too, which is why I shared my story on this website.
Working Through Emotional Trauma
Your Guide To Preventing Dog Bites
Debra Hawkins
Surprisingly enough, prevent dog bites starts with the owner, not necessarily the dog. It is a reality that dogs can hurt people, no matter how gentle, old, or small. Any dog can inflict pain or cause an injury, and prevention is your best bet. Use these steps to make your dog less likely to bite or attack. Otherwise, you could find yourself in court as the defendant in a personal injury lawsuit.
First, train your dog. Easier said then done, right? You can prevent your dog from thinking that people are living, breathing chew toys by implementing a time-out for such behavior and by never encouraging your dog to use hands as toys to begin with. Bite inhibition will be helpful when your dog is older and potentially more dangerous.
You may not realize it, but socializing your dog is important. The more you expose your dog to other dogs, the more comfortable they will be with them. Dogs are much easier to socialize when they are younger than 20 weeks. Your goal is to ensure that your dog behaves nicely with other dogs and on walks.
Keep your dog on a leash. A dog's owner is typically held responsible for injury caused by a dog to person or property if it is off a leash in public. Additionally, ensure that your dog cannot exit your property and that your dog does not have access to anybody else's property.
Be careful with allowing your dog to interact with children. Most injuries caused by dogs are to children. Even children the dog is familiar with may pose a risk, as children are more likely than adults to engage in behavior that dogs are provoked by. This includes aggressive petting and running away.
Is your dog up-to-date on vaccinations? The legal consequences of a dog attack may be more lenient if you can prove that your dog is vaccinated against rabies, which can be fatal for humans who contract it. Rabies can also make a dog more aggressive than it usually is.
Do you know that your dog is dangerous? Make sure people know this by posting a sign on your fence or door. If you know that your dog poses a threat and you fail to provide proper notice on your property, you could be held liable depending on your location.
Keeping your dog in line is an important responsibility that every dog owner takes on. If you have questions about a case involving a dog, it is wise to speak with a personal injury lawyer.
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