Dog bites are an increasing problem in the United States, primarily due to irresponsible breeding and negligent owners.  In the United States, 1,000 Americans visit emergency rooms daily due to dog bites.  Connecticut imposes strict liability upon the owner or keeper of a dog that injures property or inflicts bodily injuries on a person.  What this means is that a victim of a dog bite does not need to prove negligence.  If you are bitten by a dog, you will almost certainly be entitled to recovery, unless you were trespassing or somehow provoking the dog.

If you are the victim of a dog bite, call 911.  It is important that both medical and police personnel respond to the scene.  Make sure that the police investigates and files a report.  And, first and foremost, get medical attention!  Dog bites can lead to serious consequences such as rabies, infection, and permanent scarring and disfigurement.  The earlier you get to a doctor, the more likely it is that you will get the attention you need.  Also, you may want to get a consultation with a plastic surgeon, particularly if the injury is to your face.  An emergency room doctor may not be the best qualified to handle punctures and injuries to sensitive places.

If you can, it is important to identify the animal that bit you, and more importantly its owner.  Hopefully, the police will have assisted you with this.  However, it is important that you or a family member or friend do so as a back up.  Only with such an identification will you be able to pursue a claim for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, scarring and disfigurement.  If the dog owner is insured, you might get a call from an insurance company representative. Obtain the name, address and phone number of insurance company, and then advise the agent that your lawyer will call him/her back.  Do not, under any set of circumstances allow the insurance company to take a recorded statement.  Do not trust the insurance company or its representative.