4.5 Million People Are Bitten By Dogs Annually

Did you know that nearly 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the US? It's true, and many of these bites will even require medical attention.

In fact, in a report released by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, it was shown that hospital admissions due to dog bites have increased dramatically over the past 16 years. In 1993 there were 5,100 bites while 2008 saw 9,500 bites prompting medical attention.

According to the same study 2008 saw an average of 866 people every day sent to emergency rooms across the country for dog bites. Of this group, forty percent were children or teens. And of the people that visited the hospital 26 patients per day were admitted for overnight stays.

While population growth for both canines and humans has certainly contributed slightly to this increase in bites, there was no solid data as to why there has been such an increase. The researchers were also quick to note that while "a lot of people think dog bites are from some [stray] running around, and no one knows where it lives," most of these bites are from a family or neighborhood pet.

If you sustained a dog bite injury, contact our legal team to get help from a San Diego personal injury lawyer.