USPS Offers Tips to the Public to Help Prevent Dog Bite Injuries

The U.S. Postal Service has released its ranking of the top 25 cities for dog attacks to letter carriers in the year 2011. The city of Los Angeles tops that list. Several New York cities are also included in the list. Brooklyn comes in at number 13 with 27 dog attacks while Buffalo is ranked 18th with 22 dog bite incidents. Jamaica is ranked 23rd (17 dog attacks) and Rochester comes in 25th with 15 dog bite incidents reported. Nationwide, in 2011, 5,577 postal employees were attacked by dogs in more than 1,400 cities. Los Angeles topped the list with 83 dog attacks. Medical expenses from dog attacks reportedly cost the Postal Service nearly $1.2 million last year.
Dog Bite Injuries
In addition to postal workers, the group that is greatly affected by dog attacks is children. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the 4.7 million Americans bitten by dogs annually, more than half are children. Between 12 and 20 people die from dog attacks annually. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2011 alone, more than 29,000 reconstructive procedures were performed as a result of injuries caused by dog bites. Children, particularly, may be left with lifelong injuries such as scarring and disfigurement. Because of their height, children, tend to suffer facial injuries and other upper body injuries. Children are three times more likely than adults to be bitten by dogs.
Protecting Yourself and Your Child
There are several ways in which parents and caregivers can protect children from dog attacks:
• Do not leave children alone with dogs.
• Children should be taught never to startle or provoke a dog.
• Do not approach a strange dog, especially one that is tethered or confined.
• Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating or caring for its young ones.
• Children should not be allowed to put their face close to a dog’s face.
• If you believe that a dog is about to attack you, place something between you and the dog such as a backpack or a bicycle.
• If knocked to the ground by a dog, children should be taught to curl into a ball and protect their faces with their hands.
Compensation for Injured Victims
If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog attack, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our law firm recovered $750,000 for a girl who was bitten by a dog, which was the most money recovered in New York State in 2010 for a dog bite case. Please contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496) for a free and comprehensive consultation. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: U.S. Postal Service