Dog bite injuries are rated using the Dunbar Dog Bite Scale. This rating system may influence what you might expect to receive in a dog bite settlement claim.
In this post, we discuss the six Dunbar Dog Bite Scale levels and how each of them applies to what you might recover from a dog bite injury claim.
To learn more about dog bites and what compensation you can recover from them, call our Stone Rose Law dog bite lawyers at (480) 498-8998.
The Dunbar Dog Bite Scale provides a way to classify the severity of dog bite injuries based on:
Level 1 is the lowest on the scale, while Level 6 is the highest.
This level does not actually involve a dog bite.
Instead, at Level 1, the dog displays aggressive behavior. Examples of Level 1 dog behaviors include:
This level does not always involve aggressive dogs but rather a dog acting on another motivation, like anxiety, fear, or physical distress.
Level 1 dog attacks seldom involve physical injury. This means that recovery of economic damages in a settlement is unlikely.
In cases where a dog’s aggressive behavior causes emotional distress or anxiety, these may be grounds for a claim of non-economic damages, but these may be difficult to prove in the absence of special circumstances, like aggravation of an established pre-existing fear of dogs or the victim being a small child.
At this level, the dog’s teeth contact the victim’s skin but do not puncture it.
Some minor tissue damage may result, and the bite may leave red marks or bruises.
Similar to a Level 1 attack, the dog may not be an aggressive or vicious animal, but acting in response to a stress motivator like anxiety or discomfort.
Even though physical contact happens at this level, the tissue damage, if any, is usually so slight that economic damages are hard to claim or recover. Any non-economic damages claims will likely need to rely on special circumstances like those for a Level 1 attack.
The vast majority of dog bite attacks are Level 1 or Level 2. This means that in most cases, legal claims for damages do not result, or recovery amounts are minimal if they do.
This is the first level where one to four dog teeth puncture the skin.
The result of a Level 3 attack can include:
Depending on the circumstances, the settlement value for a Level 3 dog bite claim ranges from a few hundred dollars to the low five figures.
A Level 3 dog bite injury usually needs minor medical attention. This can include stitches, dressings, and antibiotics or antiviral medications. These can be subject to economic damages claims based on the medical bills for treatment.
If you miss work because of a Level 3 injury, you can claim lost wages for the productive time lost.
Claiming non-economic damages for Level 3 attacks is easier because of the physical harm done. These claims can include pain and suffering damages as well as emotional trauma like anxiety attacks.
The main difference between a Level 4 dog bite injury and a Level 3 dog bite is the depth of the puncture wounds. At Level 4, puncture wounds deeper than half the length of the dog’s canine teeth are common.
In addition to a bite with deep wounds, the following injuries can also occur at Level 4:
Settlements for a Level 4 dog bite claim may range from $10,000 to $50,000, but it can go much higher in more severe cases, especially if reconstructive surgery is required or if long-term treatment like physical therapy is needed.
In addition to economic damages in the form of medical expenses and lost income, non-economic damages from pain and suffering and psychological trauma are much more likely to be part of a settlement payout from a Level 4 attack.
In a wrongful death claim involving the death of a child, claims can run into the millions of dollars.
Level 5 often qualifies as a mauling attack as opposed to a single bite incident.
At this level, the dog bites multiple times in a single attack or makes repeated attacks. One or more victims may be involved, and they often suffer extensive injuries.
Level 5 dog attacks often involve dogs that have known dangerous propensities, like a history of biting people and being hard for the dog owner to control.
The types of harm a victim suffers will be those of a Level 4 bite, only often considerably worse because of the multiple bites involved.
A Level 5 dog bite claim will often settle in a range of $30,000 to $75,000. Again, depending on the severity of the injury, up to and including death, this amount can increase tremendously.
A Level 6 dog bite results in the death of the victim. A lower level of dog bite, like a Level 4 or Level 5, can turn into a Level 6 if the victim dies. In some cases, in a Level 6 incident, the dog may even consume human flesh.
The average settlement value for a Level 6 attack is $100,000 or more and can result in multi-million dollar payouts.
Level 6 settlements are wrongful death settlement claims.
If you or a loved one has been a dog bite victim, call Stone Rose Law at (480) 498-8998 to receive fair compensation. Our dog bite lawyers represent clients in personal injury claims based on dog bite incidents or other animal bites.
