Dog bite victims in California can hold dog owners responsible for their injuries in most cases. That protection is confirmed in the state’s civil code, CCC 3342.
Victims are empowered to seek help with medical costs when dealing with painful cuts, broken bones, and infections. They can also receive assistance in supporting themselves while they can’t work.
If you or a loved one has been bitten, please contact Maison Law of Lemoore for a free, no-obligation consultation. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your case may be worth and how to hold dog owners and their insurance companies fully responsible.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Getting Bitten by a Dog?
If an encounter with a dog only leaves you with superficial cuts or scratches, minor injuries, you may not need a lawyer’s help with your case. It’s different if you suffer a serious injury like a broken finger or a deep bite wound on your thigh. Intensive medical care will be required for a longer period. Doctor bills will definitely run higher.
The expensive injuries trigger homeowners insurance companies to fight harder to avoid taking the liability for dog owners. They can focus on tearing down a victim’s case simply to save money on a settlement check.
These are just a few of the tactics you may be hit with:
- An attempt to blame you for a dog attack
- An attempt to question how badly you are hurt
- Try to deny and delay coverage until you give up on getting any help
- Offer you much less than you’ll need to fully recover
A Lemoore Dog Accident Lawyer is a powerful shield against this behavior. Your Maison Law representative fully investigates what happened and looks into the dog’s and the dog owner’s history. Then the evidence is used to force insurers to accept full accountability. We demand the most in compensation for our clients. That often means we secure much more for victims than they could hope to win themselves.
Who Is Responsible for My Dog Bite Injury?
California is a “strict liability” dog bite state. This means that dog owners are responsible for any injuries their pets cause, with very few exceptions. Victims don’t have to prove as much as in a normal personal injury case. As long as the person owns the dog and a bite occurred, the owner is liable.
The dog’s history doesn’t factor in. Meaning even if it’s the first time the dog has ever lashed out at someone, the owner is liable.
The dog owner’s homeowners insurance or renters insurance would be on the hook for physical, emotional, and financial damages.
There are only a few circumstances that might allow the dog owner to escape blame:
- The victim was trespassing on private property without permission
- The victim provoked the dog
Unfortunately, children are far too often the victims of dog attacks. The two exceptions listed above generally wouldn’t apply to young bite victims. Children aren’t expected to have the good judgment to stay away from a dog that captures their curiosity. Dog owners must confine their pets in a house or in a secure, fenced yard or enclosure. If children can easily get into a dog’s pen or a dog can easily get out, the dog owner would be liable.
A judge also wouldn’t usually throw out a case if a child ran up to a dog or cornered a dog. It would be up to the dog owner to prevent these types of close encounters from happening. This is for the child’s sake and for the dog’s sake.
What Type of Compensation Can My Child Receive After a Dog Bite?
Injured victims or the parents of victims can file injury claims and seek full compensation from a dog owner’s insurance provider. But those claims need to include every hardship the victim has endured and back them up with evidence.
Hospital bills, physical therapy fees, and even the invoices for the cost of counseling for traumatized bite victims should be included. It’s critical to list every hardship because any damage left off is something the insurance company can ignore, leaving victims to cover.
Your attorney would make sure you received these and other benefits:
- Medical Care now and any that may be required in the future.
- Additional support for child victims to make sure the patient is developing and growing without issues from an old bite wound or broken bone. Funds for additional surgeries that may be needed in the child’s teen years.
- Lifelong support for a dog bite victim who suffers a physical disability.
- Full support for a victim who suffers a permanent disfigurement due to a dog bite wound. This might include money to pay for restorative surgery.
- Travel costs for appointments with surgeons and other medical specialists. These providers may be in larger cities outside of Kings County. The trips can get expensive.
- Compensation for the physical pain a victim may suffer for months, years, or a lifetime.
- Support for emotional trauma victims are left with including depression and anxiety. The PTSD symptoms that may repeatedly bring victims back to the moment of an attack.
- Wrongful death benefits for the family. In the most tragic cases, a life is cut short by a severe dog bite wound. Nothing can replace a precious life, but family members should seek justice on behalf of the deceased and protect their financial future. The family would be able to seek support to make sure they don’t have to cover bills left behind and other hardships caused by a deadly dog bite.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I’m knocked down by a dog and injured?
Victims can still seek personal injury compensation from the dog owner, but the benefits of strict liability wouldn’t help. This means victims would need to bring more evidence to the table. They’d have to demonstrate that a dog owner’s actions allowed the dog to approach or jump on someone. They’d also have to show that the dog’s actions caused the fall. Of course, a skilled Lemoore dog bite attorney would be ready to investigate and deliver the evidence needed.
How long do I have to file an injury claim after a dog bite?
You have two years from the date of the dog bite to file an injury claim. You should take action soon so that your attorney has the best chance to collect evidence before it disappears.
What if I can’t afford a dog bite lawyer?
You won’t need any money up front. Maison Law’s dog bite lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means they don’t get paid unless they win your case. Then, your lawyer gets paid out of the award you receive.
Contact a Dog Bite Lawyer as Soon as Possible
After you or a loved one is bitten by a dog, contact a Lemoore Dog Bite Injury Attorney to discuss your case. Ideally, you want to speak to a lawyer before saying very much to the dog owner’s insurer. There are benefits available to you and your family that an insurance company may never mention.
Contact Maison Law for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. It’s a no-risk way to find out what your injury should be worth and how to demand that support from an unhelpful insurance provider. We are happy to help you determine if you need a lawyer to get every bit of support you’ll need for recovery, or if you are better off handling your case yourself.
