It’s a common joke on television and in movies that dogs don’t like letter carriers, but the sad fact is dog bites injure thousands of post office employees every year. Post offices all over the country are requesting aid from dog owners so that letter carriers are not injured as much this year.

The most recent dog bite statistics show that 3,100 letter carriers from the post office were bitten in 2008. These bites were serious enough to report them to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration to receive workers’ compensation. With that in mind, there are probably thousands of other incidents all over the country that go unnoticed.

These dog bite statistics show that on average, letter carriers are bitten about ten times per day across the nation. That is just one occupation; in the United States, over 4.5 million people suffer dog bites every year. Around 33 people are killed every year in ferocious dog bite attacks. Texas is the state with the highest number of dog bite wrongful deaths. In 2007, seven people died from dog bites.

Dog bites occur because dogs are protective in nature and when they are surprised or feel like their owners are in danger, they attack. Postal carriers request that families keep their dogs restrained when the mail is delivered and that children do not collect mail in the presence of the family dog because dogs can be more protective of them.

If a dog has attacked you or your loved one, or if your family member has been killed in a vicious dog attack, you may be able to recover compensation for injuries suffered. Please contact an experienced dog bite attorney in your area today to schedule an initial consultation.