Injuries in the McKinney Dog Bite Case

Defining Trauma

In McKinney, the law defines trauma as something broader than physical injury. Trauma can be emotional as well as physical injury. A traumatic event can be solely psychological, but that is rare in cases of dog bites. In dog bite cases, there usually is a physical component. But, psychological injuries are sometimes the most devastating part of that type of animal attack, because it can change a person’s outlook on life, their sense of safety and security, even in their own home or in their neighborhood. Trauma was a factor in the client’s case because when a person is attacked from behind, she did not see it coming and did not know what was happening until the dog already was ripping and tearing up her leg. It made her much more cautious and very concerned about her surroundings all the time, almost to the point of panic.