Developed an infection or complication after a Michigan dog bite? Medical complications increase the value of your claim. Free case review with Solomon Radner.
Dog bite wounds are different from most other injuries because of one key factor: the bacteria in a dog’s mouth. Even a small bite that doesn’t look serious can develop into a major medical issue within 24 to 72 hours. Approximately 1 in 5 dog bites develops some form of infection. For some patients, infection complications dwarf the initial bite injury — both medically and in terms of legal damages.
This guide explains the most common medical complications from dog bites, what they mean for your health, and what they mean for the value of your Michigan dog bite case.
Common Dog Bite Infections
Pasteurella
Pasteurella bacteria are present in the mouths of approximately 50% of dogs. Pasteurella infection from a dog bite typically appears within 12 to 24 hours of the bite and presents with redness, warmth, swelling, and pain at the bite site. Without treatment, Pasteurella infection can spread to deeper tissue, joints, and bone, and can become life-threatening.
Cellulitis
A bacterial skin infection that spreads through the deeper tissue. Cellulitis after a dog bite typically requires aggressive antibiotic treatment, sometimes IV antibiotics in a hospital setting. Untreated cellulitis can progress to sepsis or necrotizing fasciitis.
Capnocytophaga
A particularly dangerous bacteria found in dog and cat mouths. Capnocytophaga infections are rare but devastating. In severe cases, victims can develop sepsis, blood clots, and gangrene leading to amputation. Patients with weakened immune systems (recent surgery, diabetes, asplenia) are at highest risk.
Sepsis
Bacteria from the bite spreading systemically through the bloodstream. Sepsis is a medical emergency that can lead to organ failure and death. Sepsis after a dog bite typically requires ICU-level care and prolonged hospitalization.
Tetanus
Rare in patients with up-to-date tetanus vaccinations but possible if vaccination is lapsed. Tetanus shots are standard medical practice after any significant dog bite.
Rabies
Domestic dogs in Michigan are required to be vaccinated against rabies. If the dog’s vaccination status is unknown or unverified, post-exposure prophylaxis (a series of rabies shots) may be recommended. The vaccinations themselves are uncomfortable and expensive, and the worry between exposure and confirmation is its own form of damage.
Other Medical Complications
Nerve Damage
Deep bites can sever or compress nerves, causing permanent loss of sensation or motor function in the affected area. Nerve damage from dog bites is often permanent and may require surgery to attempt repair. Loss of function in a hand, finger, or facial nerve is treated as serious damage in Michigan dog bite cases.
Crushing Injuries and Broken Bones
Bites from larger dogs can crush tissue and break bones, particularly in smaller anatomical areas like fingers, hands, and the small bones of the face. These require surgical repair, often multiple procedures, and can leave permanent functional limitations.
Scarring and Disfigurement
Even bites that heal without infection often leave permanent scars. See our dedicated guide on facial scarring compensation in Michigan. Plastic surgery and scar revision procedures are recoverable damages.
Psychological Complications
PTSD, anxiety, depression, and dog phobia are common after serious dog bites and are recoverable as emotional damages. See our guide on PTSD and emotional trauma damages.
Why Complications Increase Case Value
Under Michigan’s strict liability statute, the dog owner is responsible for all damages caused by the bite — not just the initial bite itself. Medical complications are foreseeable consequences of a dog bite and are fully compensable. Specifically, the case value reflects:
- All medical bills associated with the complication (often multiples of the original bite treatment costs)
- Extended time off work and lost wages
- Additional pain and suffering during the complication and recovery
- Permanent impairment if the complication caused lasting harm
- Future medical care for ongoing complications
A bite that initially looked like a $5,000 case can become a $100,000+ case if it develops a serious infection requiring hospitalization. The full medical course matters — not just the initial wound.
Document Every Step of Medical Treatment
Because complications matter so much to case value, thorough medical documentation is critical:
- Keep records of every doctor visit, ER visit, urgent care visit, and follow-up
- Document every prescription and its cost
- Photograph the wound at each stage of healing and any complications
- Save all bills, even small ones
- Keep records of every day missed from work, including reduced productivity
- Note dates of any psychological treatment or counseling
Your attorney will help build the medical timeline for the case, but the source documents come from your own records.
When Complications Develop, Get Legal Advice Quickly
If your dog bite was initially treated as minor but complications have since developed, the case value has changed significantly. Don’t let an insurance company settle the case based on the initial bite assessment without accounting for the complications. Call an experienced Michigan dog bite attorney before signing anything.
The Michigan Dog Bite Law Firm, led by Solomon Radner, exclusively handles dog bite cases. No fee unless we recover.
Dog bite complications in Michigan?
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