Any dog bite injury is traumatic, and carries with it the possibility of serious injury. But some injuries are worse than others. Sometimes, dog bites permanently affect the appearance of your face, causing scarring and nerve damage that you may never be able to fully heal from.
These injuries and resulting procedures can often reduce the size or shape of the scar but rarely ever totally eliminate scarring. A noticeable scar to the face can cause psychological injuries to go along with any physical injuries you may have suffered. In these situations, you need compensation.
Free Consultations With Dedicated California Dog Bite Lawyers
When you’ve been bitten by a dog and it has caused you permanent scarring or disfigurement, our team of experienced and knowledgeable California dog bite lawyers at Maison Law know how to get you the compensation you so desperately need.
The road to recovery is a long one, and requires courage and determination. With our team by your side, we can make sure your claim for compensation is in order so that you can focus on recovery and treatment. To learn more about how we can help you, contact us today for a free consultation.
California Law and Dog Bites
Under California law, dog owners are “strictly liable” for any damage their dog causes. This means that the owner of the dog is likely to be held responsible for any injuries or harm that their dog has caused.
Further, if the dog was unsupervised or not on a leash at the time of the attack, the owner’s liability is unquestionable.
The law further states that the dog’s owner cannot use the defense that they had no prior knowledge of the dog’s violent history or possibility they could attack. As such, if you’ve been bitten by a dog, the owner will be liable and responsible for your injuries, unless you were trespassing on the property or provoked the dog into the attack.
What to Do After a Dog Attack in California
In the immediate aftermath of a dog attack, you should do the following:
- Seek medical attention immediately
- Follow your doctor’s wound-cleaning orders
- Report the incident to your local animal control
- Identify witnesses
- Document the bite wound and other details of the incident
California Insurance Coverage and Dog Bites
As the injured person in a California dog bite case, you would be the plaintiff in the claim. Our state’s strict liability laws only require you to show that the owner or person responsible for the dog:
- Owned or otherwise was in possession of the dog that bit you.
- Owed a duty to exercise reasonable care to prevent the dog from hurting you or others.
- Failed to meet that duty of care.
- The failure to meet the duty caused the dog bite and resulting injury
Once you’ve established that the owner of the dog that bit you was negligent, their liability will be sealed. After that, only certain instances can devalue your claim. California is a comparative negligence state, meaning that any percentage of fault the court attributes to you may be deducted from your gross award.
Also, depending on where the dog bite occurred, it can extend to premises liability claims. This is especially true if the dog bite occurred in a public park or at a private business. Premises liability claims often carry higher insurance premiums and thus, are more valuable.
What Do I Need to Know About Facial Scarring From Dog Bites in California?
A dog bite, no matter where it is placed on the body, can cause significant damage. But if the bite occurred on your face, the damage is likely much more severe. Dog bite attacks that occur on or around your face happen typically because you may have been unable to shield your neck and face, leaving you vulnerable to an attack. This is especially true if you were in one of the following positions:
- Lying on the ground
- Were in a sitting position
- Were face-to-face with the dog
Any dog bite can scar, but dog bites to the face can leave permanent scarring that is always noticeable. Depending on the severity of the scar, plastic surgery or other procedures may be necessary to temper any disfigurement. Not surprisingly, these procedures are extremely expensive and aren’t guaranteed to produce a positive outcome. Still some of the more common procedures include:
- Dermabrasion or laser resurfacing
- Injections to reduce scar size
- Reconstructive or Specialized Scar revision surgeries
Worse than that, noticeable facial scarring almost always goes hand-in-hand with psychological injuries, including:
- Low self-esteem
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
While the physical and emotional impact of a dog bite lasts well after the initial attack, there is also the risk that the necessary medical procedures and surgeries carry. Any surgery can bring the following complications:
- Infections
- Hemorrhages
- Hematomas or bruising
- Blood loss
- Anesthesia risk
Again, not only are these procedures expensive, but in severe cases, they will be necessary to restore your facial features. On top of that, resulting nerve damage to your face because of a dog bite could be something you’re simply forced to live with.
What Can I Gain From A Dog Bite Lawsuit in California?
When you have permanent facial scarring because of a dog bite, your damages are much more severe than a normal dog bite case. This is due to not only the physical challenges of your injury, but the emotional and psychological impact the injury will have on you going forward.
Still, filing a lawsuit can allow you to get some measure of normalcy and compensation back in your life. Among other damages, a successful in a California dog bite claim can allow you to recover the following:
- Medical expenses, including surgeries
- Ongoing treatment, especially rehabilitation physical therapy
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship
- Punitive damages, in cases where the owner was found to be intentionally negligent.
Obviously, the more extensive and complicated your facial scarring or injuries are, the more valuable your case for damages will be. While every lawsuit is a gamble, having our team of experienced California dog bite lawyers by your side can help ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.
Hold Owners Liable For Dog Bite Injuries In California
If a dog bite has caused you permanent facial scarring, you may not know what to do next. These injuries will likely impact you for the rest of your life, so getting maximum compensation will be necessary as you try to move forward.
In these situations, an experienced California dog bite lawyer can be essential to helping you pursue damages and focus on your recovery.
Maison Law has a proven track record of obtaining full compensation for clients throughout California. To learn more about how we approach dog bites that cause permanent injury, contact us today.
