Sometimes, dog bites lead to serious injury, but other times, it causes fatalities. In 2015, dogs fatally attacked 34 individuals, and left thousands injured in a way that they needed medical attention. The statistics are still scary, and these indicate risk factors for fatalities caused by dog bites. Dogs may bite in stressful situations, but the stats hint some attributes related to a bigger possibility of a fatal outcome.

Aggressive or Big Breed

Society portrays pit bull breed as dangerous or deadly. Pit bulls caused 82% of dog bite fatalities in 2015. It is unfair to say that every large dog is aggressive and violent, but these animals are more powerful compared to small ones. Therefore, unsurprisingly, large dog attacks can cause much more damage than the small ones would.

Dog Packs

This term borrows from “wolf pack”, which refers to things which come in a group and attack something else together. Such an approach from the dogs can be a factor in an attack, and it can make it trickier for a person to run away unscathed. After all, where would you go when dogs approach you like this and surround you? Unless you are a trained person or superfast runner, you will almost invariably leave with some injuries.

Guard Dogs

We all know one thing about the dog: it is loyal to its owner. So whether it is trained to become a guard dog or not, it may try to protect its master and even the latter’s property. This is perhaps why 71% of the fatalities happened on properties of dog owners four years ago.

Vulnerable Victim

The person’s age is possibly one more factor that turns a standard dog attack into a fatal one. This is because youngsters and seniors may not be all that capable of defending against an attack of this animal. In 2015, 38% of people killed by the attacks were those aged 60 years or above, and 41% were kids aged 9 years and below.

Dog Attacks Need Not Be Fatal To Be Worthy of Compensation

California’s law makes dog owners strictly responsible for the acts of their canines. This means whether or not they had previous knowledge of the aggressive behavior of their dog, they are responsible for the same. The experience of getting slightly bitten by a dog can also be distressing, so even if their medical expenses are low, the victim may be entitled to compensation for non-monetary damages.

So, when you have been through such a situation, it is in your interest to get in touch with a skilled dog attack attorney.