Yes. California law holds dog owners responsible for bites in most instances. The dog owner would be responsible for a bite wound and the medical costs, even if it happened inside a dog park.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Getting Bitten by a Dog?
If your injuries are serious, like a broken bone, torn ligaments, or a deep wound, you may need a lawyer to get full compensation from a dog owner’s homeowners insurance provider. When a wound requires more than a quick trip to an emergency room, the costs will grow quickly.
This triggers insurance adjusters to hit the brakes and look for ways to avoid taking responsibility. They may try to blame you for what happened. They could find doctors who will downplay your bite injuries, leaving the insurance company justified in giving you a small settlement check that may not cover everything you need.
Having a skilled Ceres Dog Bite Lawyer handle your case is the best way to earn everything possible while giving you the time to heal in peace. Your lawyer fully investigates your accident and the dog’s history. Your lawyer gathers all evidence and builds a strong case that insurers will have a difficult time rejecting.
Our attorneys can often secure you much more for your injury than you could going up against a giant insurance company all alone.
Dog Park Bite Dangers
Dog parks offer a great place to let pets run wild. A spot like Ceres Dog Park along Helen Perry Road is supposed to be where dogs can be dogs, but they can’t be allowed to hurt the people who may also be inside the park fence.
Thankfully, California’s dog bite laws still apply in a dog park. Victims might get caught between too dogs playing aggressively, or even two dogs in a fight. Victims may just have their hands at their sides when an overly excited dog walks up and clamps down.
A bite can break bones in the hands, wrist, and ankles. This type of damage can leave victims with trouble walking. Anyone who works with a computer may have to skip work hours until broken fingers fully heal.
Victims might also suffer deep tissue damage, causing harm to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The risk of infection is another concern. A wound that might heal in a few days could become infected with the bacteria found in a dog’s mouth. This might prolong recovery and even leave a permanent disfigurement behind.
Even with very clear laws in place, insurance companies can raise questions over who should be financially liable. Victims can count on the immediate help of a Ceres Dog Park Dog Bite Lawyer. A skilled lawyer identifies every party that might share some fault in a dog attack and then demands the support victims need to pay for a full recovery.
Who is Responsible If I Get Bitten at a Dog Park?
According to California Civil Code 3342, dog owners are liable for dog bites in most situations. Pet owners are responsible, even when a bite occurs inside a dog park where pets are let off their leashes to run free. Dog owners are still liable and would be called upon to help victims with their medical bills and other hardships.
California is a “strict liability” dog bite state. The concept of strict liability means that pet owners are financially liable for a first bite incident. This means they are accountable even if the dog hasn’t bitten anyone before and doesn’t have an aggressive history.
Strict liability makes it easier to determine who is legally responsible for a bite wound, generally the pet owner. But liability could be in question in a couple of circumstances:
- The victim can’t have provoked the dog.
- Victims can’t have been trespassing on the dog owner’s property at the time.
Most dog parks wouldn’t be considered private property. Any Ceres parks operated by the city are public places.
Can I File a Lawsuit Against the City of Ceres After Getting Bit at a Dog Park?
In most case, no. City-operated dog parks are usually designated as “use at your own risk,” with signs posted. Local city or county government departments are protected from lawsuits resulting from the reasonable risks that go along with visiting a dog park. The dog owner would usually be the only party to sue after a dog bite.
However, if a hazard contributed to your bite went beyond the normal risks you could expect at a dog park, a lawsuit may be possible. Your lawyer would help you collect evidence to prove that a park owner or operator was negligent in keeping visitors safe.
Private dog parks, like those provided by apartment communities, are under similar protective laws. However, in these cases, the dog owner can usually be held fully liable.
What Type of Support Can I Seek from a Dog Owner After a Dog Bite Accident?
The victims of painful dog bites might go to the emergency room and be well on the way to healing within a week.
But for others, the road to recovery doesn’t move so fast. Victims can experience numbness in a damaged hand or arm. They might suffer facial lacerations, or experience a lot of blood loss after a deep bite to the thigh.
No matter how much care and for how long it’s needed, victims shouldn’t have to wait for the support they need. They should never be forced to worry as medical bills pile up, along with rent and car payments coming due, all while they can’t work to earn a paycheck.
A dog bite settlement check should provide enough to cover these and other damages after an accident:
- Support for current medical care bills and any received in the future. Surgeries could be necessary years down the road.
- Physical therapy costs. Rehabilitation may be needed so the victim can restore the function of a hand and fingers.
- Full financial support for a permanent physical disability and permanent disfigurement suffered by victims.
- Additional compensation for physical pain and emotional trauma Dog bite victims can suffer anxiety and PTSD symptoms after a frightening attack. Depression may follow a severe injury that limits the patient’s enjoyment of life.
- Reimbursement of lost benefits and income while the victim misses work.
- Travel costs for appointments with doctors and surgeons. These bills may be substantial if a victim has injuries that prevent driving.
Contact a Ceres Dog Park Bite Lawyer
Consult with an attorney who understands the emotional trauma that comes along with the physical damage caused by a dog bite. Dog park bite victims need sufficient financial and emotional support in order to recover from such a traumatic experience.
When you contact Maison Law for a free consultation, you’ll talk to a real Dog Bite Lawyer and you’ll get our full attention. We will help you decide your best options for receiving the support you and your family will require to rebuild your lives.
If you decide we can help you get the most out of your dog bite case, you won’t need any money now. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee is paid out of the insurance settlement you receive.