Georgia Injury Law Blog
A new study shows an increase in the numbers of people being hospitalized after suffering a dog bite. Statisticians from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality looked at dog bite data between 1993 and 2008. They found that the number of people who needed hospitalization after a dog bite actually grew by 86%.
In 1993, 5,100 people had to be rushed to the hospital after a dog bite, and that number ballooned to 9,500 cases in 2008. Every day, an approximate 856 Americans are forced to seek emergency treatment after a dog bite. Of these, an average of 26 are admitted to the hospital for treatment of their injuries.
Other findings from the study:
· Elderly people and young children are the most frequent victims of dog bite. (No surprises there for Atlanta dog bite lawyers).
· People in rural areas are much more likely to be hospitalized for dog bites, than those in urban areas.
· Approximately, 50% of the people who were injured by dog bites, suffered skin infections.
· 58% suffered injuries that were serious enough to require skin grafts or stitches.
· The average cost for a dog bite hospitalization was a staggering $18,200. That is approximately 50% higher than the average hospitalization bill for any other injury.
· Interestingly enough, males were more likely to visit an emergency room for dog bites, than females.
· Most of the victims of dog bites, who visited hospital emergency rooms, were below 44 years of age.
· Dog bites were more frequent in the Midwest and the Northeast than in the West.