After a scary dog bite incident, Glendale victims may be traumatized and in need of medical care. Soon after, they may also be frantic when forced to track down a dog owner and the dog owner’s insurance information. It’s a step to hopefully keep victims from having to cover their own medical bills over an injury that wasn’t their fault.
If a dog owner can’t be found or is being uncooperative about turning over information, victims may have to take extra steps to secure their support. They may be able to rely on the Glendale Police to help obtain important details for a dog bite injury claim. Animal Control Staff from the Pasadena Humane Society may also be investigating the incident and collecting information.
A skilled Glendale dog bite attorney will also have the investigative skills to determine the insurance status of a dog owner and win the victim the most possible in a dog bite injury claim.
Steps to Take to Get Insurance Information from a Glendale Dog Owner After a Bite
After a frightening dog bite on a neighborhood sidewalk or at a park like Verdugo Park, victims should see to their safety first. Call 911. Alert police if the dog involved remains a threat and is on the loose. Call for an ambulance. Go to the emergency room if necessary.
In the moments after a bite, if it’s safe, victims may also want to focus on securing information they’ll need to file an insurance claim and get financial help in recovery. In California, dog owners are held liable for dog bites in most situations. Victims can seek help in paying medical bills and in replacing the income they lose while they must miss work hours.
However, victims will need certain information from a dog owner to begin the claims process. They could also use some evidence from the scene to strengthen their case in case an insurance company hassles them or wants to shift blame for what happened.
Victims can take these steps to build a strong case and to secure important information from the dog owner:
- Get information from the dog owner. If the dog owner is present, victims should ask for contact information and get homeowners or renters insurance details. Getting policy numbers would also help, if possible. If a dog owner lives nearby, a photo of insurance documentation could help.
- Track down the dog owner. If a dog owner isn’t present, victims may have to start an investigation of their own. But they should only take action if their injuries allow. Victims can ask witnesses and local residents if they know the dog and the dog owner. The dog may be well known if it’s constantly on the loose and harassing neighbors. Victims could also resort to knocking on nearby doors to attempt to find the owner.
- Take photos. With insurance information or not, victims should still be ready to build a strong case for the claims process or lawsuit ahead. Photos can help. Victims or someone with them should snap photos of the dog, the scene, and the dog owner. Photos of the bite wound and clothing damage will also be powerful evidence.
- Rely on Glendale Police for Help Getting Homeowner’s Insurance Information. If a dog remains on the loose and is endangering the public, the Glendale Police may be sent to the accident scene. Police may be very interested in finding an absent dog owner. Officers should obtain information from the owner that will hopefully be shared with you and your lawyer.
- Rely on the Pasadena Humane Animal Control Staff. Glendale contracts animal control issues out to the Pasadena Humane Society. Staff members will likely respond to track down a dangerous dog and to find the dog owner. They may be assessing if the dog owner broke local ordinances in the care of the dog. This staff could also provide valuable information to you and your lawyer.
- Contact a Dog Bite Lawyer. A skilled dog bite attorney with Maison Law of Glendale can take over the frustrating efforts to get details from a dog owner. Your attorney would fully investigate what happened and the dog’s history. Your attorney would also be identifying the dog owner’s insurance providers. If the dog owner had no insurance, litigation targeting the owner directly may be necessary.
Who Is Responsible for a Dog Bite In Glendale?
California law protects those inflicted by a dog bite by allowing them to file injury claims against dog owners. Due to the legal concept of “strict liability,” a legal claim is possible, even when it’s the first time a dog has ever bitten anyone.
The dog owner is held responsible for the bite, and strict liability makes it easier for the bite victim to prove who is to blame. The dog owner is usually always liable, and proof of negligence on the dog owner’s part isn’t really needed. If the person owns the dog and the dog was allowed to bite someone, that’s all the proof required in most bite cases.
Dog victims could file lawsuits unless one of the following was true:
- The victim was trespassing at the time of the bite.
- The victim provoked the dog into an attack.
- The attack didn’t involve a bite (although a bite that doesn’t break the skin still counts as a bite). Some dog-involved injuries don’t include a bite wound. A dog may have knocked someone down and caused a fall injury. Strict liability wouldn’t apply in these cases, but other personal injury laws would apply, and a lawyer could help the victim file an injury claim.
Contact a Glendale Dog Bite Attorney Today
We offer a free and confidential case review to all Glendale dog bite and dog attack victims.
If your injuries are serious, please contact us today to schedule an appointment. It’s a no-risk way to determine what your case is worth and how to hold a dog owner fully liable. A Maison Law dog bite lawyer is a critical protection when insurance companies try to blame you for what happened or attempt to devalue an injury.
And if you do need Maison Law’s help to secure more in support, 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.
