What to Do If a Dog Bites You

Dog bites can happen suddenly and have serious consequences, from painful injuries to potential infections. Knowing what to do immediately following a dog bite is crucial for your health and safeguarding your legal rights. Keep reading to learn crucial steps for recovering from a dog attack. Call a Murfreesboro, TN dog bite lawyer at (615) 220-4180 if you or a loved one were bitten.

This guide will help you take the right steps after an unfortunate encounter with a dog and inform you about the compensation you might be entitled to for your injuries.

Immediate steps after a dog bite

Your actions in the minutes after a dog bite can affect both your recovery and any legal claim. Here’s what to do immediately:

• Get to safety. Move away from the dog. Even a familiar pet can turn dangerous. Avoid eye contact and keep your distance.
• Stop the bleeding. Apply pressure with a clean cloth to control bleeding.
• Clean the wound. Wash the wound under running water with mild soap and watch out for signs of infection. Avoid scrubbing too hard. Then apply antibiotic ointment and cover it with a clean bandage.
• Seek medical attention. Even minor-looking bites can lead to serious infections. If the wound is deep or you don’t know the dog’s vaccination history, go to urgent care or the ER. Ask about a tetanus shot or rabies shots if needed.
• File an animal control report. Call Rutherford County Animal Services or the local animal services in your area. This helps document the bite and could uncover a history of aggression.
• Document everything. Take photos of your injury, torn clothing, and the scene. If possible, write down what happened right away; you might forget key details later.
• Do not argue with the dog’s owner. Many owners get defensive or deny their dog’s behavior. Let us handle communication and investigation.

Your legal rights after a dog bite and how we help

Once you seek immediate medical care, it’s time to think about your legal options. At Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers, we help victims investigate what happened, determine who’s responsible, and deal with the dog’s owner or their insurer.

Here’s how we guide you through the next steps:

• Investigation. We gather witness statements, review medical records, obtain veterinary histories, and assess leash law violations.
• Negotiation. We negotiate directly with the dog owner’s insurance company, and we prepare every case as if it may go to trial.
• Protection. You don’t have to talk to the dog’s owner or their insurance. Once we take your case, you can refer all calls to us.

Understanding Tennessee dog bite laws

Tennessee law holds dog owners to a clear legal standard. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 44-8-413, all dog owners have a duty to keep their dogs under reasonable control and prevent them from running at large, meaning off-leash and unsupervised in public spaces or on someone else’s property without consent. If they breach that duty and someone is bitten, the owner can be held strictly liable for the victim’s injuries.

In these cases, you don’t need to prove that the dog had a history of aggression or that the owner knew it was dangerous. Liability can exist even if it was the dog’s first bite, as long as the attack occurred in a public place or on private property that doesn’t belong to the dog’s owner, for example, if a delivery driver is bitten while dropping off a package at someone else’s home.

However, if the bite happens on the dog owner’s own property, including their home, farm, or land they lease, Tennessee law applies a modified version of the “one-bite rule.” In those cases, the victim must show the owner knew, or should reasonably have known, the dog had dangerous tendencies.

There are a few legal exceptions. For instance, a dog owner may not be liable if the victim was trespassing on private, nonresidential property, provoking or harassing the dog, or if other narrow exceptions under the law apply.

Every dog bite case is fact-specific, which is why it’s important to speak with a personal injury attorney who understands both Tennessee law and the local court system.

How to prevent future dog bite incidents

Learning how to safely interact with dogs, especially unfamiliar ones, can reduce the risk of another incident. Teach children to avoid petting strange dogs and to look out for warning signs like growling, stiff posture, or bared teeth.

Avoiding eye contact, moving slowly, and respecting a dog’s space are small actions that can help prevent future attacks and keep your community safer.

Bitten by a dog? We can help.

A dog bite can leave lasting physical and emotional wounds, but you don’t have to handle it alone. At Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers, we’re committed to helping you recover with compassionate guidance and legal expertise on animal bites. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a Murfreesboro dog bite attorney. Call (615) 220-4180 or contact us online to get started. We’ll stand by you every step of the way.