Maison Law can help you or someone you care about after they’ve been injured by a dog bite in Merced. Even though pretty much everybody is familiar with dogs, very few have actually been through a dog bite or attack. They happen fast and they’re extremely scary, even before you realize how injured you are. Our team will be there to make things easier. Set up a free consultation today.
Does a Lawyer Make Sense For Me?
After something like a dog bite, you aren’t thinking about your legal options. Instead, your focus is where it should be: getting away from the dog and getting medical help for any injuries. But once things settle down, reality starts to hit. That’s when the legal side of things start to come more into focus, and that’s when talking to our team makes more sense. When you do, we can:
- Lay your options in plain language so you know what to expect
- Look into how the bite happened and getting the information you need
- Figure out who might be legally responsible for your injuries and losses
- Handle the back-and-forth with the insurance company
- Going to court if you can’t reach a fair settlement
Dog bites are still treated like regular personal injury claims in Merced, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to deal with. Our team can make things easier, and when you consider how easily these types of things can happen, that makes it a bit easier to be prepared.
Where Do Dog Bites Happen in Merced?
Just because you’re familiar with a dog doesn’t mean it won’t bite you. But more to the point, you can be injured anytime you interact with a dog here in Merced. So think about all the different places you see a dog and you start to understand where these types of injuries are more likely to happen, like:
- Homes, apartments, yards, and residential neighborhoods
- Local dog parks, green spaces, and outdoor recreation areas
- Sidewalks, walking paths, and pedestrian walkways
- Restaurants, shops, and other stores that allow pets
- Pet adoption events and other community events throughout the city
There’s no easy way to deal with something like this. Something as simple as instinctively reaching to pet a dog could end up with you being bitten if the conditions are right. But one way or the other, a dog bite can lead to something more serious. And at that point, information becomes important.
Information That I’ll Need After I’m Bitten By a Dog
Although the results are usually the same, dog bites happen in a few different ways. Some happen as a split-second reaction, while others are prolonged. Either way, your first priority should always be getting somewhere safe and getting medical care once you’re away from the dog.
At that point, though, things will start to settle down. Then, you can start thinking about getting basic information like:
- Pictures/videos of your injuries and where the bite happened
- Names and contact information of anyone who saw what happened
- Notes about what you remember about the dog, the owner, or what led up to the bite
Again, only try to get these things if it’s safe, the dog is back under control, or you’ve gotten away and are on the way to the ER or urgent care. Dog bites aren’t something you should brush off or ignore, and if you wait to get medical care, your injuries could get worse.
But once you’re stabilized, it’s a good idea to report what happened to Merced Animal Services so they can start investigating.
Then in the days/weeks that follow, more important clarifying information is going to start rolling in like:
- Your medical records
- Accident reports from Merced Animal Services, the police, or businesses where the bite happened
- Progress pictures of your injuries, showing stitches, bruising, infections, and scarring
- Video footage from security cameras, doorbell cameras, or cell phones
- Statements from people who saw what happened or helped afterward
- Copies of medical bills, pay stubs showing missed work, messages with the dog’s owner, insurance information, and any other records connected to the bite
All of this probably sounds overwhelming, but like any accident claim, it’s these things that are going to be the foundation of your case. And our team will be there to help pull everything together.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
Dogs have sharp teeth than can sink into a person’s flesh, muscle and bone and cause serious and lasting injuries. Dogs also carry disease and this can also be transferred to the victim. At Maison Law, we understand the law and know the extent of injury and damage a dog can cause their victim. We know that each case is not the same, and we have experience in all sorts of dog bite injuries.
Some of the most common injuries to a dog bite victim are:
- Puncture wounds
- Broken bones
- Eye injuries
- Head and Neck Injuries
- Face Injuries
- Disfigurement
- Permanent Disability
- Emotional Scars
- Disease (Rabies, Tapeworm, Roundworm, Hookworm)
These are possible with any dog bite, but unfortunately, children in Merced are especially vulnerable. Thankfully, if your child is bitten by a dog, they have the same rights as anyone else.
Who’s Responsible For My Dog Bite Injuries?
In some states, when a dog bites someone, the owner isn’t liable if he or she didn’t know that their dog was likely to bite. This is called the “one bite rule” because it means that after the first bite, the owner is now aware that the dog has the potential to be aggressive.
However, in California, when a dog bites someone, the owner is responsible for any injuries even if the dog hadn’t shown any aggressive tendencies or bitten anyone before. This is called a strict liability law, and it means that the victim doesn’t have to show that the owner did anything wrong, but just that their dog bit the victim, and the victim sustained injuries.
However, there are some required conditions that must be present before liability can be determined.
- The victim must have been in a public place or invited to a private place when bitten, and
- The victim must not have provoked the dog into the attack.
Depending on the severity of the wounds, and any permanent damage to the victim, the law allows for certain damages that are intended to help the victim recover from the accident both physically and financially.
Damages Available in a Dog Bite Claim
Just because California follows strict liability doesn’t mean the claims process is automatic. You still need to file a claim to get damages. To do that, you can either file:
- An insurance claim outside of court (usually with the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance policy)
- A personal injury lawsuit
With either option, your “damages” are going to be made up of your:
- Medical bills
- Future medical care and rehabilitation
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Every dog bite case is different. The value of your claim depends on the circumstances of the attack, the severity of your injuries, and how those injuries affect your life. There’s no one amount that applies to every case. But one thing that does apply is the statute of limitations. You currently have only two years from the date of the injury to file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t know the extent of my injuries yet?
That’s normal. Outside of superficial wounds or broken bones, dog bites can cause internal injuries, infections, and other things that don’t show up right away. But going to an ER or urgent care can catch any potential long-term issues.
What if I can’t find the dog’s owner?
You may still have options. Write down what you remember about the dog and where the bite happened. Witnesses, security cameras, and animal control records can usually help you find the owner.
Who’s responsible if a dog bites me on a sidewalk in Merced?
The dog’s owner is still mostly responsible because of strict liability, but it depends on the whole picture. In some cases, a property owner, business, or government agency may also share some of the responsibility.
Contact Our Merced Dog Bite Lawyers Today
A dog bite can happen when you’re doing something as ordinary as walking through your neighborhood, visiting a friend, or spending time at a local park. And when it happens, the physical injuries are only part of the problem. You may also be left dealing with medical bills, missed work, and the emotional effects of the attack. You don’t have to figure out what to do next on your own.
Our Merced dog bite lawyers at Maison Law can review what happened, explain your legal options, and help you decide how to move forward. Reach out today to set up a free consultation and talk with us about your situation.
