Facial Injuries and Scars Attorney Flint, Michigan

Dog Attacks

No one wants to imagine being attacked by a dog, but each year millions of people in the United States are innocent victims of animal attacks. Vicious attacks can result in traumatic injuries and even death. Facial injuries are the most common site of dog and animal attack injuries. Facial injuries may impair important body functions such as eating, breathing, vision and speech. Without proper medical treatment, even a minor facial injury can lead to permanent disfigurement.

Generally, injuries suffered in animal attacks involve the soft tissue of the lips, cheeks and nose areas. These injuries may consist of lacerations, perforation and tearing of the skin. Lacerations, in particular, require painstaking surgery to prevent scarring and deformity. If injuries to the cheeks are severe, a plastic surgeon may need to replace the damaged areas using skin grafts. Reconstructive surgery of the nose may also be required if the wounds are severe.

Healing of dermal wounds occurs slowly in three stages. While some scars caused by an animal attack may resolve satisfactorily, a number of scars will remain noticeably raised or darkened and, in extreme cases, become keloids, raised linear masses of scar tissue. If for some reason, the wound does not heal properly, the scar may need to be surgically repaired or revised.

Victims of animal attacks who have sustained facial injuries that result in permanent scarring may suffer psychological or psychiatric complications. An individual may suffer a loss of self esteem and withdraw from interpersonal contacts as well as from recreational and job related activities. Therapy may be needed to counsel and treat victims, especially children, who have suffered the emotional and physical trauma of an animal attack.

If you or someone close to you has been injured in an animal attack, please complete the online form, or call 1 (888) 905-4632. The skilled and experienced attorneys at The Law Offices of Henry M. Hanflik have won hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements for satisfied clients.