Los Angeles dog bites at dog parks are more common than you may think. For instance, there are eight off-leash dog parks inside of the City of Los Angeles, and several more outside of the city. From a human perspective, some are better than others. From a safety perspective, all of them share one common hazard. That hazard is the risk of a dog’s owner being attacked and bitten by a strange dog.
California’s General Rule
Some states are what’s known as “one free bite” states where the general rule is that every dog gets one free bite before its owner is put on notice that it has an aggressive predisposition. In California, no such rule exists. That’s because section 3342 of the California Civil Code makes a dog bite a strict liability offense. It states that “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 . . . regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness.”
Bite Injuries to Your Dog
Section 3342 clearly contemplates bite injuries to people and not dogs, so strict liability won’t apply if your dog needed veterinary services as a result of an attack. As dogs are personal property in California, you can still file a claim or lawsuit for damage to property though.
Non-Bite Injuries to Owners
A dog’s owner might suffer a fall when protecting their dog from an attack at a dog park, and a resulting hip, leg or ankle fracture needing surgery might result. A fall isn’t a bite though, and section 3342 clearly addresses bites. Although strict liability won’t apply to a fall, they might use the law of negligence to recover compensation due to an attacking dog at a dog park. You’ll want to speak with the knowledgeable and experienced Los Angeles dog bite lawyer here at Maison Law on that issue. He’s likely to be of great help to you in isolating and overcoming the issues in your particular case.
Report Los Angeles Dog Bites to Animal Control and the Owner’s Insurer
You’ll need to report your bite to Animal Control. They will conduct their own investigation of the attack. You can also report the dog attack to the insurer of the owner, but we strongly discourage you from giving any kind of written or recorded statement to that insurer’s representative. You don’t want them to use your words against you. That’s why encourage you to contact us right away after a dog attack and a bite.
Get medical attention immediately and report the attack. Then, contact our Los Angeles dog bite lawyer here at Maison Law for a free consultation and case review. You can tell him what happened and how it happened, and he can answer your questions too. After that, he’ll advise you on the full range of your legal options. Preserve and protect your rights by contacting him sooner rather than later. When you retain us, we want to build a solid case toward obtaining the highest settlement or award for you that you deserve.
Contact a Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawyer
After you sustain injuries in a dog bite accident in Los Angeles, you need to spend your time focusing on your physical recovery. Since you cannot bill the insurance company for time spent building your case, it is in your best interest to let us handle the legal work for you.
Contact attorney Martin Gasparian for a free case evaluation and strategy session. Mr. Gasparian takes a hands-on approach to every case and will listen to you. He believes that every client should get clear and direct answers to their questions and know their rights as victims.
