According to The Daily Mail, Ashley Unger, a 31-year-old hairdresser from Illinois, suffered permanent scarring and post-traumatic stress disorder after a pit bull tore off her nose in one of her clients’ homes.
According to the article, Unger was playing with the dog, her customer’s roommate, while touching up her hair when it suddenly attacked.
The pit bull sank its teeth into Unger as she attempted to leave. The dog ended up tearing her nose off during the horrific attack. The doctors rushed the traumatized stylist to the hospital, holding her face together and exposing the bone where they had stitched her flesh.
Unger’s sister, Melissa Schmidt, has launched a GoFundMe page to raise $20,000 for reconstructive surgery.
Severe Physical and Psychological Damage
Unger said it was the first time she had met the dog, but she had been playing with it for a few hours before it suddenly attacked.
Unger stated that the shock from the attack caused her to develop PTSD, which includes experiencing flashbacks related to the incident. She also has a severed septum and cartilage, and now cannot breathe through her nose.
Doctors predict that Unger will require multiple reconstructive surgeries and likely face lifelong scarring. She has already received 36 stitches across her nose, five across her eye and two across her upper lip.
She also says she can only breathe out of her mouth, with the worst-case scenario being that the surgery doesn’t improve her nasal airways. The traumatic incident has left Unger terrified of dogs, she said.
Compensation for Dog Bite Victims
Ashley Unger’s story is an example of how dog attacks can leave individuals with not just physical injuries and scars for life. Still, it can also cause significant emotional and psychological damage.
Like Illinois, where this dog attack occurred, California is a strict liability state regarding dog attacks. This means that dog owners can be held financially responsible for the injuries caused by their pets, regardless of whether the dog had a prior history of aggression or biting.
Injured victims in such cases may be able to seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost income, cost of hospitalization, cosmetic surgery, rehabilitation, psychological therapy, scarring and disfigurement, permanent injuries, pain and suffering and emotional distress.
An experienced dog bite lawyer will be able to stay on top of the investigation and make sure victims’ rights are protected every step of the way.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10856659/Illinois-hairdresser-31-left-scarred-life-pitbull-tore-NOSE.html
