Maison Law represents the victims of dog bites at California dog parks. Our California Dog Bite Lawyers assist victims in getting the support they need to make a full recovery. In these situations, California law holds dog owners liable. Please contact us after an accident involving a dog bite for a free, no-obligation consultation for you and your family. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your case may be worth and how to hold dog owners responsible.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Suffering a Bite at a California Dog Park?
If your injury ends up being serious, such as a broken bone, severed tendons, or a deep puncture wound you should speak to a skilled California dog bite lawyer.
When your wound is more than just a few scrapes or bruises, the hospital bills can quickly pile up. When insurance companies for dog owners begin to worry they’ll have to cover healthcare over weeks or months, they look for ways to limit the compensation they’ll have to pay you and your family. A lawyer protects you from these tactics and fights to maximize your injury claim so that you don’t have to worry about how you’ll pay your doctor bills and support your family during recovery.
Who Is Responsible for a Dog Bite at a Dog Park?
Many California families enjoy spending time at home and out and about with their dogs. A great way to get a dog some exercise is to take them off a leash at a public or private dog park and let them run free.
It’s a fun time for humans and pups, but it’s still a place where dogs who become confused or feel threatened can resort to biting. Humans can suffer a bite while caught in between two dogs that are fighting.
Visitors to a dog park can suffer painful wounds. These injuries can require emergency care, surgeries, and weeks of physical therapy. The question of who will be paying for that care becomes incredibly important.
California is a “strict liability” dog bite state. It means that dog owners are generally held financially responsible for the consequences of a dog bite. That’s true even if the dog has never shown aggression towards people before. Dog owners are also accountable if their dogs bite someone at an off-leash dog park.
Victims can file injury claims against the dog owner’s homeowners insurance or renter’s insurance in most cases. However, these are a few factors that might affect the fault in the case:
- The victim can’t have provoked the dog.
- Victims can’t have been trespassing on the dog owner’s property at the time. This generally wouldn’t affect liability in a dog park bite incident. The dog park would usually be considered a public place.
- The accident must involve an actual bite. A bite must have happened for “strict liability” laws to apply. A wound that didn’t break the skin would still count as a bite. Dog owners can be held responsible for other types of injuries caused by dogs, such as when a victim is knocked down, but different personal injury laws would apply.
Can the Owners of the Dog Park Be Sued After a Dog Bite
Victims hurt at a dog park may wonder if the city parks and rec department that operates the park could be held liable. In most cases, the city wouldn’t be liable because dog parks are posted as “use at your own risk” locations. But this legal protection applies only to normal and expected risks at a dog park. If there was an out-of-the-ordinary hazard left unrepaired at a dog park, the city could be liable due to negligence. A hole in a dog park fence could let dogs out to bite those outside the park. This might leave a city department accountable. Your California dog bite attorney would be crucial in helping you determine every party that could be held liable.
The same possibilities would apply to a private dog park in a residential area like an apartment complex. A dog bite would likely only be a dog owner’s responsibility, but other factors could leave a property management company liable.
What to Do After a Dog Bite at a California Dog Park
After you or a loved one are hurt at a dog park, call 911 to get paramedics on the way. Go to the emergency room if necessary. You may also see the police respond if the dog remains a threat or if a dog owner tries to escape identification.
If you have time, and you are left strong enough, and it’s safe, try to gather a few details on the scene or ask someone with you to help:
- Take photos. Get a picture of the dog and owner if possible. Take pictures of your bite wound and show any damage to clothing.
- Exchange contact information with the dog owner.
- Talk to witnesses and get their contact information.
- Schedule an appointment with your physician. The shock of a frightening attack sometimes masks the pain of a more serious injury. Have your doctor check out every pain that appears in the days that follow. Follow your doctor’s advice. Save your medical invoices.
- Keep all damaged and bloody clothing. Don’t throw away evidence.
What Type of Hardships Can I Receive Dog Bite Compensation for?
Your lawyer will fully investigate your incident and look into the history of a dog owner and dog. This will build a strong case that the dog owner’s insurance provider will have a hard time rejecting.
Your lawyer then negotiates to get every damage you and your family have suffered and will suffer compensated. Your claim will include a list of every hardship that’s been caused by a dog bite wound.
Your California dog bite lawyer would make sure these and other factors helped determine the size of a dog bite settlement check:
- All medical bills and those expected in the months to come.
- Compensation for permanent disfigurement or disability caused by a dog bite wound.
- Compensation for physical pain.
- Compensation for emotional pain, including trauma caused by a dog attack.
- Compensation for lost earnings and benefits victims must endure while being unable to return to work.
- Wrongful Death Benefits. Families who have lost a loved one to a dog bite can ask for financial support from a dog owner. This civil claim would seek money to pay for a funeral and any leftover medical bills. The income the deceased can no longer provide a spouse or children in the future should earn additional settlement funds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a dog bite injury claim in California?
You have two years to file a dog bite claim in California. But you should explore your options as soon as possible. This gives your attorney the chance to move quickly to secure fresh evidence and track down witnesses.
What if I can’t afford a dog bite lawyer after getting bitten at a dog park?
You won’t need any money to hire Maison Law. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the dog bite settlement money you are awarded.
What should I avoid saying after getting bitten by a dog?
Don’t say “my bad” or “I’m fine” right after a dog bite incident. Insurance companies can twist these statements to make it seem like you admitted fault in the incident or that your injuries weren’t all that bad.
Contact a California Dog Park Dog Bite Lawyer
Maison Law of California provides free case consultations to all dog bite victims. Schedule yours today. It’s a no-risk way to determine how to hold dog owners responsible for dog bites and how to maximize your compensation from an insurance provider. Our California Dog Bite Attorneys make sure victims have the money they need to pay for the best care available and to support their families while they are out of work.
