Last year saw the most dog bite claims ever filed: 17,359 claims in total for 2013, according to data from the Insurance Information Institute. The average payout to those injured across the country was $27,862, while the highest state average was in New York, where the average claim payout yielded $43,122. Which state had the most dog bite claims? California, with 1,919 dog bite claims filed. The average compensation in that state was $33,709.

As for mail carriers, the U.S. Postal Service said that 5,581 workers suffered dog attack injuries last year, and they even compiled a list of the top 30 cities with the most dog attacks reported against postal workers. Curious about what made the list? Here are the top five cities:

1. Houston, Texas
2. Los Angeles, California
3. Cleveland, Ohio
4. San Diego, California
5. Chicago, Illinois

While all these numbers are surely staggering, it does not truly represent the real numbers on how many people suffer from dog bites in the United States on a yearly basis. According to the CDC, that number is nearly 4.5 million dog wounds annually. That comes out to about 900,000 people who need medical attention as a result. About half of those injured are children.

According to some experts, the fault in dog bite injuries can almost always be traced back to the owner. Often, the dog bite is a failure to follow basic laws or common sense practices, such as failing to keep one's dog on a leash when in a public area. It also falls to parents to ensure that kids understand how to behave around dogs, such as learning to leave dogs alone when they are eating. Also, dogs and infants should never be left together unsupervised.

Have you suffered from a dog bite, or has a loved one suffered injury from a dog attack? Your options for getting compensated will vary a great deal depending on where you live. Find out what you could be entitled to when you talk to a personal injury attorney right away!