Maison Law represents Madera dog bite victims, and we give extra attention and care to make sure young victims get the support they need to recover after a frightening attack.
Child dog bite victims can require additional care and support to make sure they heal and don’t experience additional injury complications as they grow. Our dog bite lawyers aggressively go after dog owners and their insurers to make sure they are held fully liable for any injury to a child. Parents can reach out to us for a free, no-obligation case consultation.
Do I Need to Call a Lawyer If My Child Is Bitten by a Dog?
If your child comes out of an encounter with a dog with only a few minor cuts or scratches, you might not need a lawyer for your case. Unfortunately, children are the most vulnerable victims in a dog bite incident. They have softer tissue that allows bites to go deeper. Their smaller statures also put their most vital areas are usually closer to a dog’s mouth. Young victims can suffer much more severe injuries and need treatment for longer.
The bills for this care can be enormous and stretch out over a decade in some cases. This high cost will have insurance providers for dog owners looking for ways to get out of taking the blame or for ways to reduce what they must cover.
Your Madera Dog Bite Lawyer fully investigates what happened and collects evidence to hold insurance companies 100% accountable for a dog owner’s negligence. Your lawyer uses the evidence to force insurance companies to turn over the maximum in support for young victims. Parents who turn a case over to a lawyer often receive much more in compensation than they could by handling their child’s case by themselves.
Who Is Financially Responsible for My Child’s Dog Bite?
California is a “strict liability” dog bite state. This means that dog owners are generally fully responsible when their pets bite someone. The concept of strict liability means that pet owners are financially liable even if the dog doesn’t have a history of violence.
The dog owner’s homeowners insurance provider would be accountable as long as the victims can show:
- They weren’t trespassing at the time of the dog attack.
- They didn’t provoke the dog.
Neither of these factors would likely affect a child’s dog bite case. A California judge wouldn’t hold a child responsible for finding his or her way into a yard that held a dangerous dog. A child isn’t generally considered to have the judgment needed to make a responsible decision. The dog’s owner could be held responsible for making a dog pen too easily accessible.
Children are also naturally curious and wouldn’t know when their actions might frighten a dog or make it defensive. A judge wouldn’t likely hold a child responsible for running up to a dog or cornering it. Your lawyer would make sure a dog owner didn’t escape justice just because a child acted like a child.
Madera Dog Bite Injury Hazards for Children
Children, like dogs, usually have a lot of energy. And that fast-paced and careless freedom around animals can sometimes cause a bite reaction.
Most children don’t have the mental capacity to know when they are in danger of being bitten or are stressing a dog out.
Unfortunately, dog owners sometimes get careless and let their dogs roam free. They are also to blame when dogs get put in anxiety-producing situations, such as being cornered by a child. This isn’t the dog’s fault, and it is not the child’s fault. The dog owner must be vigilant to keep pets confined and out of situations that might lead to a bite.
These are just a few of the situations that often lead to dog bites involving children:
- Dog bites at parks like Lions Town & Country Park. Dogs may be allowed off their leash, or children may be allowed to run up to a dog that’s given too much leash.
- Dog bites at someone’s home. Children might be visiting a friend or at a family party when they are bitten by a dog.
- Dog bites in a child’s yard after a dog owner has let a pet escape.
- Dog bites on someone else’s property where a child can easily wander into a yard or dog pen and approach a dog.
Why Do Children Need Additional Support After Dog Bites?
A child’s body is developing constantly as they grow towards adulthood. A dog bite injury, like a broken bone or a skin disfigurement, can cause major complications in recovery. A child whose broken arm seemed to heal may require surgery in their teen years to make sure the body matures correctly. A bite wound causing nerve damage and broken bones can affect the development of tissue, bones, and organs as children age.
Another round of intense physical therapy could be required. Any child victim needs to be fully funded for what may be ahead. A skilled Madera child dog bite lawyer can examine any settlement offer from an insurance company to see if it’s enough to cover the child’s needs now and in the future. If the compensation is lacking, a good lawyer helps parents reject the claim and demand more.
The Type of Compensation We Win for Young Dog Bite Victims
Young victims must receive settlement checks that cover all of the physical and emotional damage that’s been done. The check must also cover all potential complications down the road with physical injuries as they continue to grow.
Your lawyer creates a full list of what your child will require support for and backs each claim with evidence, medical documents, and doctor testimony.
These are just some of the benefits the parents of a young dog bite victim must take home:
- Financial support to pay for medical Care now and any that may be required in the future.
- Lifelong support for a child dog bite victim who suffers a physical disability.
- Full support for a child who suffers a permanent disfigurement due to a dog bite wound. Enough to fund any restorative surgeries needed.
- Travel costs for appointments with doctors and surgeons.
- Compensation for the physical pain a child may suffer for months, years, or a lifetime.
- Support for the emotional trauma a young victim may cope with. This can include PTSD symptoms from a frightening encounter. A bite incident can lead to cynophobia, a fear of dogs, according to The Cleveland Clinic, and money to pay for therapy could be critical to the child’s mental health.
- Wrongful death benefits for the family. In the most tragic cases, a young life is cut short by a severe dog bite wound. Nothing can replace the precious life of a child, but parents should seek justice on behalf of the family member and protect their financial future. The family would be able to seek financial support to make sure they don’t have to cover bills left behind and other hardships caused by a deadly dog bite.
Contact a Madera Child Dog Bite Attorney
Consult with an attorney who understands the emotional trauma that comes along with the physical damage caused by a dog bite. Families and young victims will need financial help as they receive emergency room and physical therapy bills. Parents and their children will also need time to heal away from the frustrating negotiations with unhelpful insurance companies.
When you contact Maison Law for a free consultation, you’ll talk to a real Madera Child Dog Bite Lawyer, and you’ll get our full attention. We will help you decide your best options for securing the adequate support you’ll need to rebuild your lives. If you decide we can help you get the most out of your child’s dog bite case, you won’t need any money now. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for your family. Then our fee comes out of the insurance settlement you receive.
