Dog bites often leave permanent scars that serve as daily reminders of the attack. Beyond the physical marks, scarring affects self-image, social interactions, and emotional well-being. Compensation for scarring and disfigurement can be substantial, reflecting the lifelong impact these injuries have on victims.
Types of Scarring from Dog Bites
Dog attacks cause various types of permanent scars:
Hypertrophic scars are raised, red scars that remain within the boundaries of the original wound. They may fade over time but typically remain visible and textured differently than surrounding skin.
Keloid scars grow beyond the original wound boundaries, forming raised, firm tissue that may continue expanding. Keloids are particularly common in people with darker skin and can be more disfiguring than the original injury.
Contracture scars occur when skin tightens during healing, potentially restricting movement. These are common in areas of flexible skin and can cause functional limitations in addition to disfigurement.
Atrophic scars appear as indentations or pits where tissue was lost. Deep puncture wounds often heal this way, leaving visible depressions.
Facial Scarring
Facial scars are particularly devastating because they cannot be hidden and affect how others perceive you. The face is central to identity, communication, and social interaction. Facial disfigurement from dog bites may cause difficulty making eye contact with others, social withdrawal and isolation, depression and anxiety, impacts on career opportunities, and challenges in romantic relationships.
Courts recognize that facial scars warrant higher compensation than scars on areas typically covered by clothing.
Scarring in Children
Children face unique challenges with scarring. Scars don't grow proportionally as children develop, potentially becoming more noticeable over time. Growing up with visible scars affects self-esteem during critical developmental years. Children may face teasing, bullying, and social difficulties that compound the physical injury's impact.
Compensation for Permanent Scarring
Damages for scarring typically include:
Medical expenses: All treatment for wound care, surgeries, and scar revision procedures.
Future medical costs: Many victims require multiple scar revision surgeries over their lifetime. These future procedures must be accounted for in any settlement.
Pain and suffering: Both the physical pain of the injury and recovery, and the ongoing emotional suffering from living with disfigurement.
Emotional distress: Depression, anxiety, and psychological trauma related to changed appearance.
Loss of enjoyment of life: Reduced quality of life from self-consciousness, social avoidance, and limited activities.
Factors Affecting Scar Compensation
Several factors influence how much compensation you may receive:
Location: Visible areas (face, hands, arms) warrant higher compensation than areas typically covered.
Size and severity: Larger, more prominent scars receive greater compensation.
Victim's age: Younger victims will live longer with disfigurement, justifying higher awards.
Victim's profession: People in public-facing careers or those where appearance matters may suffer greater economic harm.
Gender considerations: Some jurisdictions historically awarded higher amounts for female scarring victims, though this is increasingly challenged.
Documenting Scarring
Thorough documentation supports your claim for maximum compensation:
Professional photographs: Have high-quality photos taken of scars from multiple angles in consistent lighting. Photograph regularly to document healing and final appearance.
Medical records: All treatment records, wound measurements, and physician assessments of scarring.
Expert testimony: Plastic surgeons can testify about scar permanence and what improvement might be achievable through future procedures.
Psychological evidence: Documentation of emotional impact, therapy records, and expert testimony about how disfigurement affects mental health.
Scar Revision Surgery
Scar revision can improve but rarely eliminate scars. Techniques include surgical excision and re-closure, dermabrasion and laser resurfacing, skin grafting for severe cases, and steroid injections for keloids. Multiple procedures over several years may be needed. Future surgery costs should be included in any settlement, even if revision procedures won't occur for years.
Waiting to Settle
Don't settle too quickly. Scars continue changing for 12-18 months after injury. The final appearance of scarring may be better or worse than initial healing suggests. Wait until scars have fully matured before accepting any settlement offer so you know the true extent of permanent disfigurement.
Getting Legal Help
An experienced attorney can help maximize compensation for scarring. They understand how to present evidence of disfigurement's impact, work with medical experts to document scarring, and negotiate with insurance companies who often undervalue these claims. Most personal injury attorneys work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless they recover compensation for you.