A dog attack may last only a few seconds, but the injuries children sustain can require years of medical care.
Some victims need stitches and emergency surgery immediately following the attack. Others face a much longer road.
Children are particularly vulnerable to facial injuries during dog attacks. Because young children are often at eye level with larger dogs, their faces, necks, and heads are directly in harm’s way when a dog bites.
The result is too often permanent scarring and disfigurement in some of the most visible places on the body.
The Impact of Facial Scarring on Children
Facial scars affect far more than appearance. Child victims frequently face years of follow-up medical appointments, reconstructive procedures, and ongoing treatment even after their initial wounds have healed.
And even after reaching maximum medical improvement, the visible reminder of the attack remains.
Children with facial scarring often struggle with self-consciousness about their appearance. Some face bullying or unwanted attention from classmates.
Others simply feel that their scars set them apart, a daily reminder of something they had no control over. The weight of that experience is real, regardless of how others treat them.
The Role of Therapy in a Child’s Recovery
Facial scarring from a dog attack can take a significant psychological toll on a child, and therapy is often a necessary and important part of the recovery process.
Many child victims benefit from working with a licensed therapist or counselor to process what happened and develop healthy ways to cope with changes to their appearance and the anxiety that can follow a traumatic attack.
Therapy is not a sign that something is wrong, it is a recognized and often essential component of a child’s overall medical care following a serious injury.
And like surgery, medication, and follow-up appointments, the cost of mental health treatment is a legitimate part of a dog bite claim. Families should not have to choose between getting their child the help they need and being able to afford it.
Plastic Surgery & Cost of Reconstruction
Many dog bite victims pursue plastic surgery to address facial scarring.
Modern reconstructive surgeons can do remarkable work repairing soft tissue damage around the eyes, nose, lips, and cheeks, but these procedures are expensive, often painful, and require significant recovery time including follow-up appointments and time away from school.
For many families, the cost of reconstructive surgery is simply out of reach. Even for those who can afford it, the process is rarely quick or straightforward.
Fighting for Child Dog Bite Victims
No child should have to carry the physical and financial consequences of someone else’s failure to control their dog.
A successful dog bite claim can recover compensation for emergency medical care, reconstructive surgery, future treatment costs, therapists, and the pain and suffering the child has endured.
By holding negligent dog owners accountable, we can help families access the care their child needs and bring some measure of justice to an experience no family should have to go through.
Attorneys Richard Serpe and Ashley Strandjord have built their reputation on one thing: fighting hard for injured Virginia families and refusing to let insurance companies take advantage of their clients.
If your child was injured in a dog attack, contact us for a free consultation. You pay no legal fees unless we win your case. Call/text 757-233-0009, use our chat, or email us day or night.