After a dog bite victim gets medical attention, the next most important consideration may be in regards to who will pay for an ambulance ride and for emergency room bills. The dog’s owner is usually held liable in California, but if the owner won’t cooperate and share homeowner’s insurance information, the victim will have a hard time earning support.
If the owner isn’t on scene, victims may have to resort to knocking on some doors to see if anyone nearby is the owner or knows the owner. If Bakersfield Police and/or Animal Control respond, assistance may come when the officers investigate the dog owner and the accident. Contact information and insurance information may finally be available in a dog bite crime report.
In some cases, it can also pay to allow a skilled Bakersfield Dog Bite Lawyer to investigate your case and track down the owner and the owner’s information.
Steps-by-Step to Building Your Dog Bite Case and to Earning Support from a Dog Owner
Dog bite victims may be in their own yards or walking along the Kern River Parkway when they are hurt. And they may immediately be facing off with a hostile pet that won’t calm down and an unhelpful dog owner.
After a bite has occurred, victims will have to focus on getting medical attention. But soon afterward, they may also want to turn their attention to building a strong case, so they don’t end up responsible for the consequences of an injury.
The evidence gathering can include tracking down a dog owner who isn’t on the scene. It might involve uncovering insurance information from an unhelpful dog owner who refuses to cooperate.
- Contact 911. Get an ambulance on the way. Get checked out by paramedics and go to the emergency room if necessary.
- If police are on the scene, give a full account of what happened. The Bakersfield PD would respond if a dog was still on the loose and presenting a threat. They may also respond if injuries are very serious. Police may help you track down a dog owner.
- Give animal control officers a full account of what happened. In Bakersfield, the animal control officers are a part of the Bakersfield Police Department. They’ll be trying to find the owner and assess if the owner should be cited for violations in the city’s pet ordinances. Their information can also help you determine if the dog owner has homeowners insurance or renters insurance to file a claim with.
- If the dog owner is present, get contact information, homeowners or renters insurance information, and a policy number if possible. If you have a name, address, and the name of an insurance company, it may be enough to make an inquiry and file a claim.
- If the dog owner isn’t around, it may be time to go door to door to find out where the dog came from. Only do this if you are feeling strong enough after the incident. Talk to witnesses to get help in tracking down the dog’s home. If anyone mentions previous issues with the dog, get contact information.
- Take photos. You should get photos of the dog, the scene, and the dog owner, if around. These photos may help you identify a dog owner if the owner takes off. They’ll definitely serve as good evidence. While you’re at it, take pictures of your injuries and any damage to clothing.
- Get contact information from all witnesses at the scene. Your attorney can contact them later to get powerful testimony for any accident claim or lawsuit.
- Preserve evidence. Don’t throw out or wash your damaged or blood-stained clothing. This will be very powerful evidence in case you must explain what happened to an insurance adjuster or a jury.
- Contact a Bakersfield dog bite lawyer if your injuries are serious. A serious injury can include a deep bite wound, ligament damage, or a fractured hand. When a case involves expensive hospital bills, you’ll need to protect your case from unhelpful insurance adjusters looking to avoid blame. Your lawyer is also ready to conduct a full investigation into what happened and locate a dog owner if necessary.
Who Is Responsible for a Dog Bite in California?
California’s “strict liability” dog bite laws usually hold a dog owner fully responsible for dog bites. Victims don’t need much evidence. They just need to show there was a bite and that it was the dog owner’s dog that clamped down.
It’s also important to note that the dog’s previous history doesn’t affect the liability in the accident. Some states don’t hold a dog owner responsible if it’s the dog’s first bite. California holds the dog owner liable from the first bite on as long as the victim wasn’t trespassing at the time or had provoked the dog.
What If I’m Knocked Down by a Dog and Get Hurt?
Victims suffering a knockdown injury caused by a jumping dog can also seek compensation from the dog owner, but “strict liability” can’t be used. Strict liability is used to prove fault only if a bite is involved.
However, a dog knockdown case can be handled as a normal personal injury claim. The difference is that the victim must show negligence on the part of the dog owner. A skilled dog injury lawyer would help gather evidence showing the dog owner’s negligence in restraining the dog allowed it to get too close to you. The evidence should also show that the dog caused the fall.
Contact a Bakersfield Dog Bite Attorney Today
We offer a free and confidential case review to all dog bite and dog attack victims in Kern County.
If your injuries are serious, please contact us today to schedule an appointment. Maison Law can help you track down a dog owner, investigate the history of a dog, and hold the owner fully accountable. Maison Law can often help you secure much more in injury support than you could by taking on an insurance company yourself.
If you do need Maison Law’s help, remember that you don’t need to worry about having the money to hire a lawyer. We don’t get paid unless we win your dog bite case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement check that an insurer must provide.
