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Hanford Dog Bite Lawyer

Dog ownership brings a lot of joy to many Hanford residents. But pet owners must know that a dog also comes with a lot of responsibilities. Providing proper care for a dog is very important, but pet owners must also protect the people around them from their dogs.

A day out at Freedom Park may come to an end when a dog gets loose and bites someone on the hand. Hanford residents may be in their own yards when a dog that isn’t properly restrained approaches to bite a child or an adult.

In California, dog owners are held accountable when their pets cause injury and victims can seek support for their medical care. A Hanford Dog Bite Lawyer represents victims and makes sure they receive full compensation for what they are put through.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Skilled Hanford Dog Bite Lawyer

When insurance companies try to blame victims for the bites they receive or refuse to help pay for expensive medical care, Maison Law steps in to help. Insurance providers for careless dog owners can put their profits over the wellbeing of a dog bite victim. Maison Law fights back and holds insurers fully accountable.

To find out how much support you should demand after a dog bite, talk to a real Hanford dog bite lawyer by scheduling a free consultation. There’s no obligation for your case evaluation, but if you decide to use our services, you won’t owe any money upfront. We don’t get paid unless we win compensation for you.

Who is Responsible for a Dog Bite in Hanford?

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. It means dog owners are responsible for providing financial assistance to bite injury victims in most circumstances. This is true even if their dogs have never shown aggression before.

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.”

Dog owners 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.

Common Injuries After a Dog Bite

The doctors who work in the Emergency Room at Adventist Health Hanford have seen the damage that dog bites can do.

The consequences can be debilitating and long-lasting. That’s why it’s critical for victims to demand adequate compensation after a devastating dog bite. They must see to their physical, financial, and emotional recovery.

Dog bites can create long-lasting wounds and even rob victims of control of their extremities in some cases.

This is only a partial list of some of the injuries possible in a dog attack:

Punctures Wounds and Cuts: Dog bites can penetrate deep into the skin and do damage as the teeth sink through the layers of muscle and bone. The hands are commonly targeted, often when someone is bitten while trying to pet a dog.

Tissue Damage: A bite may be close to a vital organ. Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissue can’t withstand the pressure of a bite.

Nerve Damage: Numbness in the hands and feet are a symptom of nerve injuries. Sharp pain and a buzzing sensation like an electric shock are also reported. Victims often drop objects they are holding.

Crushing Injuries: The force of a bite might be enough to crush small bones. Hands, ankles, and even throats can end up crushed.

Head and Neck Injuries for Hanford and Kings County Children: Children are most often the victims of dog attacks and their heads and neck are usually at the level where dogs can bite them. Extra compensation is needed for young victims because serious injuries can lead to developmental issues as they mature.

Infections: Dog teeth are covered in bacteria that might cause a wound to become infected. Rabies, tetanus, are examples of harmful bacteria. Patients may experience fever, fatigue, breathing difficulties, and tremors.

A skilled Hanford Dog Bite Attorney goes to work collecting evidence and investigating what happened to you or a loved one. Your attorney would ensure that no expenses get left in your lap during such a difficult time.

Who Pays Over a Dog Bite Claim in Hanford?

If a dog owner is negligent, a claim for damages is filed against the owner’s homeowner’s insurance in many cases. 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 business that caters to dogs or a Hanford event that includes dogs could be the site of your bite incident. This could leave the owner of the business or the event organizers liable.

What Can I Expect Compensation for After a Hanford Dog Bite

Once evidence is collected and your damages and losses have been totaled, your Hanford 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 help increase the size of your dog bite settlement check and could leave you paying for medical bills out of pocket.

This is just a brief list of some of the factors 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.

Contact a Hanford Dog Bite Lawyer

After you or a loved one has suffered a serious dog bite, you’ll have up to two years from the date of the incident to file a wrongful death claim. If you wait beyond this deadline, your case can be thrown out.

It’s important to reach out to a Hanford 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.