The Hidden Dangers and Costs of Dog Bite Infections:  A Georgia Legal Guide 

Key Points:

• Always Seek Immediate Medical Attention After a Dog Bite: Untreated wounds can quickly lead to infection, so it’s critical to seek immediate medical care following your dog bite in Atlanta.
• Infections Can Intensify Your Financial and Emotional Burdens Treatment for a dog bite infection is not limited to a single medical procedure. It can range from long-term antibiotics to vaccinations, to even surgeries. This can increase your physical and emotional pain, both of which factor into your compensation.
• The Role of Documentation in Your Legal Claim: It’s important to document your injuries, medical records, and the circumstances of the incident to prove negligence and receive compensation for your Atlanta dog bite claim.

Each day in Atlanta and its surrounding communities, people experience dog bites. Dog bites are more than a painful and traumatic experience–they can have serious consequences if not treated properly. One of the biggest concerns that medical professionals will have after a dog bite is the risk of infection. Even small wounds can introduce harmful bacteria into your body, leading to serious medical issues.

A severe infection may require additional treatments and can quickly become life-threatening if not treated, leading to higher medical expenses, and worsening the pain and suffering you’ve endured. Knowing the risks of a dog bite, as well as the legal implications in Atlanta, is important for protecting your health and your legal claim.

In this guide, we’ll review the steps you should take after a dog bite to prevent an infection, the complications of an infection, and how to prepare yourself for a legal claim with our team at The Millar Law Firm.

What Should I Do After a Dog Bite to Prevent an Infection?

Immediately following a dog bite, it’s critical to seek medical attention, even if the bite seems minor. A dog bite brings bacteria into your body, and early treatment is important to ensure no further complications develop. A healthcare professional will be able to clean the dog bite wound, administer vaccines, such as tetanus or rabies shots, and detail your injury through medical records, which will later serve as evidence in your dog bite claim. Gathering contact information of the dog’s owner and vaccination records is also important, as it helps to assess rabies risk and guides medical treatment.

After you receive medical attention, you should still be on the lookout for the signs of infection. Early indications of an infection can include redness, swelling, or warmth around the bite wound, as well as increasing pain or fever.

How Can My Dog Bite Can Lead to an Infection?

Even just a small dog bite wound can quickly become infected. If the infection is left untreated, it can result in swelling, fever, or even sepsis. If ignored, dog bite wounds can cause long-term health issues and permanent damage.

Some of the more dangerous types of dog bite infections include the following:

• Rabies is a viral disease that affects your central nervous system and can be fatal if left untreated.
• Bacteria like Pasteurella, found in dog saliva, can cause Pasteurella Infections. This can lead to cellulitis, swelling, and severe complications.
• Dog bites may transmit Staph or Strep bacteria, which can result in fever, redness, and swelling at the wound site.
• The rare but dangerous capnocytophaga canimorus bacteriacan cause Capnocytophaga Infection, which can lead to septic shock, tissue necrosis, and even death, especially in those who have compromised immune systems.

Seeking immediate medical attention is the best route to ensure your dog bite heals properly. The complications associated with a dog bite infection can have life-altering consequences if ignored.

What Happens if My Dog Bite Infection Goes Untreated?

If your dog bite infection spreads into your bloodstream, it can quickly lead to serious complications, such as sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that can cause organ failure, as well as widespread inflammation. An untreated dog bite infection can also penetrate your body’s deeper layers, affecting your muscles and bones and leading to serious complications like osteomyelitis, a bone infection, or necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease.

Untreated infections can also lead to chronic pain, loss of function in the wound area, as well as long-term scarring. Seeing a medical professional immediately is imperative to avoid these severe medical issues. 

What is the Financial Impact of Treating Infections From a Dog Bite?

Dog bite infections, unfortunately, come with additional medical burdens. Severe infections may cause additional hospitalizations and extended care, driving your medical costs up even more. In addition to medical bills, dog bite injuries can also prevent you from working, causing lost wages and disruptions to your everyday life.

Infections can also extend your recovery time, which can add to your physical and emotional strain. This type of strain falls under the category of pain and suffering, which is part of the non-economic damage category and is an important consideration in assessing the overall value of your claim.

The documentation gathered from medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering will serve as strong evidence in your dog bite claim. An experienced personal injury lawyer, like the attorneys at The Millar Law Firm, will use that evidence to show the trauma you’ve endured and fight for maximum compensation.

How Dog Bite Infections Increase Your Pain and Suffering

Dog bites are not just flesh wounds–they are traumatic events. Aside from the physical pain, infections caused by dog bites can also lead to emotional trauma. Physically, you are dealing with pain and tenderness from the dog bite, which can be further aggravated by the invasive treatments that are needed to prevent the infection from spreading. Emotionally, you might be feeling increased anxiety, depression, and PTSD, as well as fear of additional complications, scarring, and long-term medical problems.

Pain and suffering is an important component of compensation in dog bite cases in Atlanta, as it considers the non-economic damages you have experienced. Unlike bills or lost wages, which have clear values associated, pain and suffering considers the severity of your injuries, the recovery time required, and how the dog bite injury affects your day-to-day life.

For example, if you suffer an infection that leads to a longer recovery or permanent disfigurement, you could receive higher compensation because of the lasting toll it has. Medical documentation and expert testimony can help you paint a more complete picture of your pain and suffering. Documenting your struggles with pain and suffering–whether physical or emotional–will help your personal injury attorney make a strong case for the compensation you deserve.

How Can I Prove Negligence and Liability in My Dog Bite Infection Case?

In the state of Georgia, dog owners may be held liable if their negligence contributed to the bite, especially if that dog has a known history of being aggressive or was not properly restrained. When an infection occurs from a dog bite, the stakes are raised quite a bit, as the severity of your injury and the complications related to it can increase the damages you may be entitled to claim.

Proving that the dog’s owner was negligent might involve showing that they allowed their dog to roam off-leash, failed to secure the dog properly, or ignored a history of aggressive behavior. It’s also important to know that Georgia requires proof of the owner’s knowledge of the dog’s aggressive tendencies or a violation of local ordinances, such as leash laws. Working with an experienced personal injury attorney, like those at The Millar Law Firm, will help navigate these legal complexities, assist in gathering the necessary evidence, negotiate on your behalf with insurance companies, and provide you with a personalized approach to your case.

Protect Your Legal Rights With The Millar Law Firm

Our personal injury attorneys have been representing Atlanta, Georgia, dog bite cases for over 30 years and provide a personalized approach to ensure you receive maximum compensation. Your personal team of attorneys, paralegals, investigators, and support staff will handle the negotiations with insurance, gather evidence, and create the strongest case possible for your dog bite injury.  By choosing the Millar Law Firm, you can protect your long-term health and secure the fair outcome you deserve. Contact our team today for your free consultation.