Many Delano residents share their lives with pets. Dog owners get a lot of enjoyment out of life with furry friends. Unfortunately, dogs sometimes become confused or frightened and lash out. It’s also common to see dog owners who don’t monitor their pets properly, leaving others at risk of a bite.
A dog bite victim can suffer slow-healing muscle, tendon, and bone damage and be at risk of infection. Victims should know that they can usually hold a dog owner fully responsible for the costs of medical care after a bite. A Delano dog bite lawyer can be a great help for bite victims, assisting them in holding insurance companies accountable for a dog owner’s mistake.
A Free Consultation for All Delano Dog Bite Victims
After getting bitten by a dog, victims will have a lot to worry about. They’ll likely be trying to keep doctor’s appointments and physical therapy sessions all while wondering when the bills for medical care will come due.
It may be several weeks before victims finally get a chance to stop to consider if a dog owner can be asked for help with these hardships and others.
This question is too important to leave unanswered. The best way to secure answers is to talk to a real Delano Dog Bite Lawyer in a free consultation session. Find out what you’ll need to demand in an insurance claim over your bite injury. If you decide we can help you get the most out of your dog injury claim, you won’t need any money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case.
Who is Responsible for a Dog Bite in Delano?
After a dog bite incident, there is often confusion about who is responsible for the consequences of a serious injury. Some victims may give up on trying to secure compensation for what happened, but they are protected by California law.
California is a “strict liability” dog bite state. In most circumstances, dog owners are responsible for providing financial assistance to bite injury victims. Their dogs do not have to have a history of aggressive behavior for victims to file injury claims and seek compensation.
California Civil Code 3342 lays out the responsibility for dog owners:
“(a) The owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog while in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness. A person is lawfully upon the private property of such owner within the meaning of this section when he is on such property in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by the laws of this state or by the laws or postal regulations of the United States, or when he is on such property upon the invitation, express or implied, of the owner.”
In simple terms, dog owners in California are responsible for bite injuries except in these and a few other circumstances:
- The victim can’t have been trespassing.
- The victim must not have provoked the dog.
- The attack must have involved a bite as well, but that can include bites that don’t break the skin.
A dog attack that doesn’t involve a bite wound, such as a fall caused by a dog, isn’t covered under strict liability. However, an injury without a bite can still earn victims compensation. In these cases, the burden of proof for those injuries will be higher. In other words, you’d have to show stronger proof that those non-bite injuries were indeed caused by the dog’s actions and the owner’s negligence.
Your Delano dog bite lawyer fully investigates your case and collects all evidence and witness testimony so that a dog owner’s negligence can’t be denied. This forces a pet owner’s homeowners insurance provider to accept responsibility and provide a fair dog bite settlement amount.
Who Pays Over a Dog Bite Claim in Delano?
If a dog owner is negligent in a dog bite case, a claim for damages is usually filed against the owner’s homeowner’s insurance. If the owner carries renter’s insurance, some policies cover the victims of dog bites. These policies are often called upon when a victim is bitten in someone’s home.
In some cases, homeowner’s insurance won’t cover dog bite accidents. The owner’s own savings and assets would be used to provide the victim with support in this case.
A bite occurring in or around a business that caters to dogs or at a Delano event that includes dogs might leave businesses or the city of Delano liable.
What Can I Expect in Compensation After a Delano Dog Bite?
Once evidence is collected and your damages and losses have been totaled, your Delano dog bite lawyer will file a claim for damages with the insurance company involved.
This claim will include a document that lists every hardship you and your family have endured. Anything left off this list won’t factor into your settlement check. This can leave you paying for damages out of your own pocket. Your dog bite injury attorney makes sure nothing is omitted from your claim.
This is just a brief list of some of the hardships that can earn compensation:
- Hospital and rehabilitation expenses.
- Lifelong support for a permanent disability or a dog bite permanent disfigurement.
- Past and future lost earnings.
- Physical pain.
- Emotional distress, such as depression and anxiety. You might have PTSD symptoms after going through an attack and have uncontrollable fear around any dog.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
- Loss of consortium. An injury may affect the intimacy you share with family members, especially a spouse.
- Damage or destruction of property.
- Wrongful death benefits. Families who lose a loved one to a dog attack can file a wrongful death claim against an at-fault dog owner’s insurance provider. This claim asks for help with funeral costs and remaining medical bills. It also seeks future support for the guidance and income the victim can no longer provide the family.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a dog bite injury claim?
California allows victims to file a dog bite claim up to two years after an incident. Victims should not wait to explore their legal options. Lawyers should be given time to collect fresh evidence and track down witnesses.
Do I need a lawyer if my child is bitten by a dog?
It’s a good idea. Children’s dog bite wounds can affect their growth and development as they mature. A dog bite lawyer seeks support for current medical bills and makes sure families have money to pay for care needed in the future.
What if I can’t afford to pay a dog bite lawyer?
You won’t need any money upfront. Maison Law’s dog bite lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means they don’t get paid unless they win your case. Then, the fee comes out of the settlement award you receive.
Contact a Delano Dog Bite Lawyer
It’s important to reach out to a Delano Dog Bite Injury Lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your case, free of charge. Evidence can disappear and dog owners and witnesses can move away and be difficult to locate if you wait too long after an injury.
Contact Attorney Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. It’s a no-risk way to find out about the benefits available to you and your family that insurance companies won’t be informing you of.
