Florida Girl’s Upper Lip Torn Off in Dog Bite Attack

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on July 3, 2012

An 11-year-old Royal Palm Beach girl is recovering in the hospital after a dog attacked her and tore off her upper lip and part of her nose. The girl was at a friend’s house recently when the family’s terrier and bulldog mixed breed attacked her and began biting her face.

“I just kept my eyes closed,” she said. “(I) just laid there, and I closed my eyes, hoping the dog would just go away.”

Paramedics picked up the girl’s torn lip from the floor and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where it took plastic surgeons one hundred stitches to sew it back on her face. They used skin grafts to reconstruct her nose and lip, and she is now undergoing daily hyperbaric oxygen treatments to help her wounds heal as quickly as possible. Hyperbaric therapy boosts the amount of oxygen in her blood and increases blood flow to her wounds.

Her doctor, David Rankin, said that the girl had suffered the worst dog bite injuries that he had ever seen or treated and said that she has a long road to recovery.

“It’s going to be weeks of initial acute recovery followed by potential multiple surgeries to get her back as normal as possible,” he said.

The dog has been surrendered to animal control officials and will likely be put down after a ten-day quarantine period.

The girl told authorities that she was lying on her friend’s couch and rolled off the couch when the dog pounced on her face. She landed near the dog, which started growling at her. When she got up from the floor, the dog attacked her.

Dog bites are especially frightening to children and the elderly, who comprise the vast majority of dog bite victims. Under Florida laws, owners of dogs are liable for any damages their animal does to any person or animal. This little girl will have to endure multiple surgeries to repair her face and will likely need counseling to help her through this ordeal. If you or a close family member has been injured in a dog bite attack and you would like to speak with an Orlando dog bite lawyer, call James O. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004. Even if the dog’s owner is forthright and honors his or her responsibilities to the dog bite victim, it is a good idea for victims to have an experienced Orlando personal injury attorney to protect their rights and look out for their best interests while they recover. Call Mr. Cunningham today to schedule a free consultation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.