Dog bite injuries can involve emergency treatment, scarring, infection concerns, missed work, insurance questions, and emotional trauma. This resource center is built to help Michigan dog bite victims understand what to document, what to report, and how to protect a possible injury claim.
Use these guides as a starting point, then talk with a lawyer about the facts of your case. The right next step can depend on the injury, the dog owner, available insurance, prior warning signs, and the evidence that can still be preserved.
Laceration – A laceration occurs when the skin is cut roughly or torn apart. Lacerations range from shallow (only involving the skin) to deeper injury where muscles, tendons and bones are damaged as well. Lacerations may have jagged edges or gape apart before medical attention is rendered.
Abrasion – An abrasion wound is usually a more superficial injury that occurs when the skin is roughly rubbed or scraped, such as a “carpet burn.” Abrasions can be deeper and involve the removal of foreign particles beneath the skin.
Skin Healing – Injury to the skin heals in a 4-step process consisting of; hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. These stages often overlap, depending on the kind of injury.
Inflammation – Inflammation is the medical term that refers to our body’s response to trauma or other injury. You can see or feel many aspects of inflammation. Symptoms include pain, redness, warmth and swelling.
Scarring – A scar is fibrous tissue that replaces the affected skin as the result of a healed injury. Plastic surgery may be performed to minimize the scarring in a procedure known as a revision.
Types of Scars
Keloid Scar – A keloidal scar usually develops after healing and is from excessive scar tissue. It is an exaggerated response to the original injury. The margins of the scar usually extend beyond the wound delineation. It occurs more often in individuals with darker complexions, such as African Americans and some natives of India.
Contracture Scar – A contracture scar is scarring which tightens over time, reducing flexibility and mobility. These are usually shallow or deep into the muscles.
Hypotrophic Scar – This type of scarring is characterized by sunken and hyperpigmented (darker colored) areas. Examples of hypotrophic scars include acne, stretch marks and chicken pox scars.
Hypertrophic Scar – A scar that has a raised and reddened (lighter in color) appearance as normal scars do when fully healed. Hypertrophic scars often occur in areas where the skin is under greater tension such as the upper back and shoulders. They may also widen over time.
Scarring Treatment – The treatment for scarring greatly depends on many things: the type of scar, the patient’s complexion, type of pigmentation, the amount of interference it has in the person’s life and overall health. Treatments may include additional surgery, cortisone and other medication injections, skin grafts, oral medications, compression bandages, topical (skin) creams, freezing procedure (cryotherapy), even radiation therapy and laser therapy.