After a frightening encounter with a dog and a bite incident, Fresno victims will need to focus on rebuilding their health and their lives. They should be able to depend on financial help from the dog owner. Yet, that gets harder when victims don’t know if the dog owner has insurance that will cover their recovery costs.
To get insurance information, victims may need to take the initiative to locate dog owners and secure contact and insurance information. They may also be able to rely on help from Fresno police and animal control officers, who may investigate what happened.
A skilled attorney will also possess the investigative skills to determine the insurance status of a dog owner and maximize the compensation for the victim in a dog bite injury claim.
Ways to Get Insurance Information from a Dog Owner After a Bite
After a painful bite, victims need to get immediate medical help and also make sure no one else is in danger. A call to 911 will bring an ambulance response. If the dog remains a threat or your wounds are serious, the Fresno Police may also be sent. Fresno County Animal Control officers would usually be investigating.
After the dog is no longer a threat, and if you are left strong enough, take steps to ensure you leave the scene with what you need to file an injury claim. If you don’t feel up to moving around, you can ask someone with you or a helpful witness to help collect details.
- The Owner Is Present: If the dog owner is present, ask for contact information. You’ll also need homeowners insurance details, such as the name of the provider and a policy number if possible.
- The Owner Isn’t Around: If the dog owner isn’t around, you’ll have to take it upon yourself to locate the owner. Start by asking witnesses if they know who the dog belongs to. You may have to go door to door in the area. Hopefully, you will run into the owner or a neighbor who recognizes the dog.
- Fresno Police Help: Police aren’t sent to every dog bite incident. If a dog remains on the loose and could bite again, they will usually arrive to assist. If a wound is serious, they may also respond. The police will often help with locating an owner. They would likely write up a report that includes the owner’s homeowners or renters insurance information.
- Fresno County Animal Control Help: Animal control officers will be investigating most bite incidents. They’ll want to know who is responsible for the dog, and will help track down the owner and get information. They’ll be determining if the dog owner has violated any city or county laws regarding dog ownership responsibilities. They may also know if the dog has a previous history of aggressive behavior.
- Investigative Help from an Experienced Dog Bite Lawyer: A skilled Fresno Dog Bite Attorney goes to work as soon as you explain what happened. If a dog owner refuses to be helpful or can’t be located, your lawyer goes to work finding the owner. Your lawyer holds them responsible and secures the recovery help you need as fast as possible.
Is the Dog Owner Legally Responsible After a Bite in California?
California follows “strict liability” rules when it comes to dog bites. This means under most circumstances, a dog owner is almost liable for their dog when it bites another person. The fact that a dog had never bitten before would not excuse the dog owner from liability.
Strict liability makes it easier to determine fault in a bite case. The victim has to show far less evidence. Basically, the victim needs to show that the person owned the dog and that a bite occurred.
The owner is then liable no matter how it occurred, except in a few cases:
- The dog owner could perhaps escape blame if the victim was trespassing at the time of the incident
- The dog owner could perhaps escape blame if it’s found that the victim provoked the dog
Things are a little different in cases that don’t involve a bite. The victim could be injured at a park, like Roeding Park, after being knocked down by an out-of-control pet.
Since a bite wasn’t involved, the benefits of strict liability wouldn’t help. But the victim is able to file a claim under normal personal injury laws. This would usually take a bit more evidence to prove.
An attorney could help the victim show that the dog owner’s negligence led to the encounter. The evidence would also need to show that the dog caused the victim’s fall, which led to the injuries.
Contact a Fresno Dog Bite Attorney Today
Dog bite victims can demand support from dog owners in most cases. They can ask for help in paying doctor bills and in replacing the income they lose while in recovery.
To get started, victims should take advantage of the absolutely free, no obligation case consultation from Maison Law of Fresno.
It’s a no-risk way to determine what your case is worth and how to hold a dog owner fully liable. In many cases, a Maison Law dog bite lawyer can help victims earn much more than they could hope to earn on their own.
If you do need Maison Law’s help to secure more in support, remember that you don’t need to worry about how you’ll pay 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.
